Chapter six

The gun seller eyed her suspiciously and she slapped her permit down. 

“A 9-mm glock to be exact.” She added. 

“What’s a pretty girl like you needing a gun for?” He asked conversationally and she scoffed. If he was going to have reservations about people using it then a gun business is obviously the wrong business for him. 

“Self defence. My house is becoming plagued by vermin.” She replied. 

“Vermin you say? Why not get a hunting rifle and kill them the old fashioned way?” He asked. “Here, lemme bring the rifle.”

She slammed a hand down, startling him and forced a smile out between her teeth. 

“Glock. Now.” She repeated through gritted teeth.  

“Coming right up.” The man said and disappeared. 

She would be hunting alright, but it had nothing to do with vermin. There were no lengths she wouldn’t go to to protect her kids, and a certain hairy-assed bastard might taste the bite of her silver bullet before he realised that. 

...

“How’s it going?” Damian, his beta asked through the mind-link. 

Killian frowned. “Not as smoothly as I thought. I found her but she’s quite.. stubborn. Very adamant about not returning. Convincing her will take longer than I anticipated.”

“You underestimated her then?” Damian asked. “I hope you can convince her on time. Since you left... it’s like the countdown has sped up. The fog of death looms ever closer.”

His beta’s voice was saturated with worry and Killian felt his jaw ground together with frustration. 

“I will.” He promised, catching sight of her coming out of a car. “Later.”

She was approaching her workplace but came to a hard stop when she saw him in front of it. Her eyes flashed and she closed the distance to him and he had a second to admire how incredibly sexy she was before her fury was all he could see. 

“What the hell are you still doing here?!” She hissed, her eyes spitting fire. He had felt a dose of that fire in his arms before, and his dick twitched in his pants, uncaring that it was such a wrong moment. “I thought I made myself clear that I never want to set my eyes on you again.”

Patience. He’d need a shitload of patience dealing with this firecracker. The thought was novel, considering he was quite famous for his impatience and short temper. 

“I have come all the way out here to fetch you. I’m not leaving the human realm without you, mate.” He reminded her and she growled and jabbed his chest with a finger.  

“Go and fuck yourself. You are wasting your time.” She gritted out. 

“Am I?” He took her arm and held on when she tried to wrench free. “How happy can you be in this human realm truly?” He asked her. “Have you deluded yourself into thinking you are wanted here?”

She laughed. “How rich. Was it the fervour with which you were wanted that you invaded our lands and killed my people three years ago?”

He jerked her into him. “Do you even dare to shift here for fear of the hunters?” He asked. 

“Ssh!” She hissed and looked around frantically. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to behind the building. 

“Watch what you say!” She hissed. “You must never mention the wolf hunters’ again!” Her eyes were filled with fear as she said this and he scoffed. 

“What about them? They are merely humans.” He asked. She stared at him and shook her head, stepping back. 

“I don’t even care. Go, get yourself killed then.” She said and turned away from him. 

“Why are you still here?” He asked and she stiffened. “If the hunters are so dangerous then why do you remain here?”

She glanced back at him with derision like he was beneath her. “Because I would rather take my chances with these hunters than go back home to serve my mortal enemies.” She spat and turned to leave. 

He grabbed her arm, and she stared up at him with so much hatred he frowned. He jerked her back and she gasped as she crashed into his chest. 

“Let go of me you filthy barbarian!” She scratched at him and he grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head, backing her into the wall. Her breaths came in hard pants as she glared up at him with colour high on her cheeks and he stared at her lips, her proximity messing with his head. 

He closed the distance between them and she stiffened and bit her lip, her body responding to him despite her stubborn will.

“No.” She shook her head desperately and thrashed. “Release me you demon spawn!”

With one hand, he stroked her hair behind her ears and she caught her breath, her eyes becoming hazy. She may have fought all she wanted but with a touch, he had her where he wanted her. Their bond was the most primitive of all, potent and undeniable. 

“Tell me what I can do to change your mind about becoming mine.” He whispered. “What must I do to bring you home at my side?”

She shook her head again, her body shaking as she fought the pull between them. It was futile, she was his. 

“Nothing.” She replied. “Absolutely nothing. I will never go back with you.” She swore. 

Rather than turn him off, her fire drew him to her like a moth, just like on that night three years ago when he abandoned all of his plans to fuck her. He slowly lowered his face towards hers and she didn’t fight him, couldn’t fight him even if she wanted. 

“If you do this, I will hate you.” She whispered. “I will sleep and wake up every day cursing your name.”

He stopped, his lips just inches from hers and their breath mingling. If he kissed her, she would not be able to stop him. Their desire would burn bright and consume the both of them, but he might as well say goodbye to her after. 

Despite knowing that, he wanted to damn the consequences and take her here in broad daylight against this wall. With superhuman strength, he pulled away from her. 

“Whatever your conditions may be Sapphire, I am ready to meet them. I will walk through hell if you will be waiting for me on the other side.” He vowed. 

“I don’t care for that.” She replied. “I’d rather burn in hell than meet you on the other side you bastard. I don’t ever want to see you again!”

She gave him a wide birth as she stomped into the building and he raised his face to the sky and called on the goddess. 

Patience. He needed an inhuman amount of patience to succeed in this quest but he would have her. By the goddess, he would make her his. 

...

She stomped inside, just barely stifling her scream of frustration. How pathetic could she be? One touch and she was pudding. She expected to feel nothing but disgust when she gazed at his perfect barbarian face and his huge body. What she did not expect was the electrifying desire that tightened her body and awakened her in ways she had not felt since that night ages ago. 

No matter, she would show him that she was true to every word that came out of her mouth. 

She grabbed the sketchbook she came back for and headed back out. The sound of a moan stopped her short and she glanced back to the rows of offices with confusion. 

It was well past working hours. Most of the time like today, Sapphire was the one that always left latest and she locked the doors, like she did earlier. The sounds were coming from the boss’s office and with dread tightening her stomach, Sapphire approached the office on soundless feet. She pushed it open and nothing could have prepared her for the shock. 

Mr. Delarien had a woman bent over his desk, his ass bare as he pounded into the woman from behind while she made crass moaning sounds. On hearing the door, the both of them looked up and Sapphire gasped again to see her colleague under him. 

“Sapphire!” Laura gasped and scrambled away from Mr. Delarien. 

“What...” Sapphire trailed off and Mr. Delarien snarled. 

“How dare you barge in here without knocking?!” He asked her, pulling his trouser over his hard wet dick. Bile crawled up Sapphire’s throat and she stared at Laura. The woman was always quiet, the only stylist here that did not treat Sapphire like a bitter competition. 

Laura shook her head with tears in her eyes. “I can’t...” She ran out, bumping Sapphire on the way. 

“You!” Mr. Delarien snarled and came to a stop in front of her. “What the fuck are you doing in my office at this hour? Did you change your mind about servicing me?”

First of all, eew. She thought it might have been only her before but this just proved that her boss had become a serial sex offender. 

“I’m afraid not. I only came to pick something up.” She said tonelessly, disgusted to her core. 

He stepped closer, his eye narrowing on her threateningly. “You know the drill don’t you? You say a word about anything you saw here today and you lose your job.”

“What did I see?” She asked and with a dangerous smirk, she left. Her smirk dropped and she fumed as she found Laura’s office, nearly removing it from its hinges as she burst inside. 

“Is he threatening you?” Sapphire asked and Laura stiffened. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The other woman said stiffly. 

“Laura!” Sapphire leaned into her desk. “Is it for a raise? Does he have anything over you?”

Laura stood suddenly. “Why don’t you mind your own fucking business?!” She yelled and stomped out, leaving Sapphire dumbfounded. 

Did she read the room wrong? There is no way what she just witnessed was truly consensual was it?

She groaned. “Fine!” She called after the stubborn woman. “My own damn fault for caring.” She said and stomped out. Everybody was running mad she concluded, starting from her goddamn mate!

...

“So which of them do you want to ride first?” She asked her kids. 

“Merry-go-round!” Ken yelled, jumping up and down.  

“No let’s do the bumper cars!” Dani yelled over him. 

“No it must be the water splash!!” Tim joined in. 

Sapphire sighed and Mrs. Persimmon laughed, this was one of the troubles of having triplets. 

She crouched in front of them and nodded. 

“Okay I promise, we are going to climb each and everyone of your options but now we just decide which one to go first.” She said and hey started yelling their options again but she quickly held up a finger. 

“I know! Rock, paper, scissors. We climb the winners’ ride first.” She said and they squealed excitedly. 

“Alright go. Rock, paper, scissors!” Tim won and pumped his fist. 

“Hurray!! Water splash!” He jumped up and down. 

Her two kids pretended to sulk until they got to the water splash where they promptly forgot their sulk and grew excited about the ride. 

“I think I’ll sit this one out.” Mrs. Persimmon said. 

“Oh come on, you always sit these out.” Sapphire complained but her babysitter was adamant about keeping her two feet planted on steady ground. She belted the triplets in securely before sitting with them and when they ride started, she didn’t know who was screaming louder, her or the kids. She always loved climbing the rides with her kids, the thrill was matched only by what she used to feel streaking through the woods back home. 

“That was fun!!” Dani said, skipping as they got out. 

“Of course it was.” Sapphire said, grinning. “What did I tell you before? Your brother’s ideas are just-“

“-different, not lesser.” All three of them chorused and she laughed. 

“Look at my smart babies.” She said in a goofy voice which made them laugh the more.

“Me next!” Dani yelled, pulling her arm towards the bumper cars. “It’s bumper cars next.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Ken grabbed her hand and started pulling her in the other direction. 

“Ladies and gentlemen.” She called, cutting their ruckus short. “You know what to do...”

Ken won and Dani let out a dramatic suffering sigh. 

“Hurray! Merry go round it is!” Ken yelled. 

Dani loved the merry go round just as much as the boys so she soon forgot her problems and laughed in the wind as they hit maximum speed. Sapphire did not miss the looks peoples still her way. All other kids were crying and begging to be let out and there were her three kids, laughing and having the time of their lives. She smiled at them, resisting flicking out her claws dramatically, just to see their reaction. 

“It’s roasted apples.” She supplied the women sagely. “Feed them roasted apples and they have nothing to fear again.”

They looked like she just shat stones of wisdom and she resisted the urge to giggle and ruin her melodrama. What a gullible bunch. 

“Okayy it’s finally time for Dani’s bumper cars.” Sapphire announced dramatically. 

“Mummy can I have a drink first?” Dani asked. “I’m so thirstyyy.”

“Me too.” Tim chimed in. 

“Me three.” Ken added. 

“Okay, why don’t you shoot darts with Mrs. Persimmon and I’ll get ice cream?” She told them. 

“Yayy!!!” They jumped around excitedly. Mrs. Persimmon took them while she located the ice cream shop. 

“You might want to write this down.” She told the man with a smile and he stared at her like he was watching a fallen angel. She snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “Hello? Ice cream.”

He snapped into himself, blushing furiously and she nearly rolled her eyes. She wasn’t blind to the doting crowd of males and envious females she was drawing every corner she turned. She was just ignoring them all. 

She started giving her tall order when she caught a scent and stiffened. 

The last person she wanted to see, Killian came to a stop beside her and she froze with shock. 

“I’ll have ice cream too.” He said and her hands started shaking as she turned to stare up at him. 

The bastard!