Heart's Redemption (MxM)

Chapter 39 ~ Ian

I watch with growing despair as one of the newcomers—a sallow-faced man with dark eyes and lank hair—steps forward and fastens something around Sam's neck.

It looks like a thin silver collar, about the width of a pencil, and is covered in tiny, densely engraved symbols. It hinges at the back and clasps shut at the front, and the pale man locks it on with a strange little key shaped like a many-pointed star.

As soon as the thing closes around his throat, Sam's inner light dims. I hadn't even realized I could see it until it was gone. He's always so bright in my eyes, I hadn't recognized that it was something of his nature showing through. The only other person who'd ever looked like that to me was Julian, and he was part Fae.

Seeing Sam's light fade almost to nothing is unbearable, and I want to turn bear, rip all these assholes to shreds, get that awful thing off Sam, and take him somewhere safe where no one will ever hurt him again.

But I can't do that. Once again, through stupidity, or weakness, or plain bad luck, I'm helpless and forced to stand by while those I love get hurt.

A long thin chain like a leash is fastened through a loop at the front of the collar, and the sallow man hands the other end to Karin. I see Sam's shoulders shaking and I can't stand it. I lower myself to my knees beside him, moving slowly and mindful of the gun still aimed at me, and wrap him in my arms.

"You'll be okay," I whisper, rubbing my hands up and down his back and feeling his whole body tremble. "You're gonna be okay."

I don't know how, but I know it's true. Sam is strong and powerful, clever and resourceful. No evil wizard knockoff will hold him down for long. Sooner or later, he'll break free for good, and when he does, I hope he'll find his way home—as we should have done together—and tell my friends what became of me.

I don't expect the news will break any hearts, but it's nice to think I might deserve a tear or two.

Sam clings to me the way he did when we first met, a desperate barnacle latched on to the only solid surface in a wild sea, and I wish with all my heart I didn't have to let him go.

"Enough of this," Karin says, pulling none-too-gently on the chain. I see the thin collar press into the skin of Sam's throat, and he swallows against a reflexive choke.

"Ian—" Sam lets me go with a shiver of breath as the increasing tension on the chain forces him to stand. "Wait for me," he gasps.

"I will," I say, though I don't know what he means. On the other side, maybe. "I love you, Sam. Remember that, okay?"

He nods, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes and sliding unchecked down the sides of his face.

"My thanks, Mother Bear," Karin says, bowing slightly to Inez. "May your clan prosper."

Inez nods her acknowledgement. "You best get going. That sedative I gave the others won't last forever, and the more gone y'all are before they wake up, the better."

Karin bows again, gestures to the other two, and pulls Sam to his side. Then he and his men walk past me where I still kneel, taking Sam and Carlos with them. A moment later, they're gone, disappeared out of sight around the side of the lodge, and leaving me alone with Inez, Elliot, and Sofia.

"Come on," Inez orders, making an upward motion with the gun. "On your feet. Let's get this over with."

She nods, indicating I should start walking towards the lake.

So far, my mind has been too stunned to form any sort of plan, but now it starts to race. This, I discover, is just as unproductive, my thoughts and feelings tripping over themselves as fear sets in.