Page 13 of Finn (Vampire Vows #1)

CHAPTER TWELVE

FINN/ ASHER

FINN

I took a deep breath and asked Gabriel, “Will you tell me how it happened?”

The soft lighting in the room made Gabriel’s face look even more striking, but his expression was shadowed, haunted by memories he hadn’t wanted to relive.

His eyes held mine, steady, but with a trace of vulnerability that I’d rarely seen.

Gabriel’s lips pressed together for a moment, but he nodded.

“It was supposed to be a straightforward mission,” he began, his voice low and filled with a bitterness that cut through me. “My team and I were sent to a nest in the mountains. The intel said it was small, only six vampires.”

He paused, and I could sense the hesitation. I shifted closer, willing him to continue.

“We went in prepared for six,” he said, sound matter-of-fact. “But the reports were wrong. There were at least a dozen vampires waiting for us, maybe more. They had set traps. We fought like hell. But it wasn’t enough.”

He exhaled a shaky breath, his gaze hardening as he relived it.

“Three of my teammates died within minutes. I... I was gravely injured,” Gabriel said.

A chill ran down my spine as he spoke. I could picture it. The ambush, the desperation, the betrayal that followed.

“We’d all sworn to stay together, but the survivors... they abandoned me.” His jaw tightened. “Left me there to die.”

My hand reached out instinctively, covering his. “Gabriel...”

“The worst part wasn’t the physical pain,” he continued, a hollow look in his eyes. “It was the betrayal. After all we’d been through, they left me for dead.”

He laughed bitterly, and it was a sound that twisted my heart.

“And that’s when Beric arrived. He came to investigate the attack on the nest.” Gabriel’s tone grew colder. “Turned out, that nest was an ally of Beric’s.”

I could sense Gabriel’s pain, but there was something else simmering underneath. Rage, perhaps, or a wound so deep it had never healed.

“Then he changed you?” I asked.

“He found it amusing to turn me, an ex-hunter, into one of his own. ‘A collector,’ he calls himself. He couldn’t resist the irony of having a former hunter in his nest.” Gabriel’s eyes flashed, and I could see the raw anger there.

Gabriel continued, “He knew I had no choice. He didn’t ask. He just... made it happen.”

I could only stare at him, trying to take it all in. The gravity of his past hit me with a weight I hadn’t expected.

He was trapped in a nightmare, a life he never asked for.

“So... you’ve just followed orders, done what he’s told you,” I said. “Is that why you’re... well, Scar mentioned that you’re currently Beric’s favorite.”

Gabriel’s mouth twisted in a wry, bitter smile.

“Favorite is putting it kindly. More like his most useful weapon. I followed orders because... I’m good at killing. That’s all I’ve ever been good at,” Gabriel said.

The intensity of his gaze was almost too much.

He reached out, his fingers tracing along my hand, lingering there as if grounding himself.

“Enough about me,” he murmured. “How did you get tangled up in this mess, Finn?”

I took a deep breath, but his gentle touch made it easier to speak.

“The Guild assigned me to take you out,” I admitted. “At first, I didn’t even know it was you. They just gave me an alias. Scar was my informant.”

I hesitated, glancing away. “He led me right to you.”

Gabriel absorbed this in silence, his gaze turning thoughtful, faraway.

I watched him carefully, wondering what he was thinking, desperate for him to say something, anything.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it.

“What are you thinking?” I whispered, needing him to pull me back from the unknown.

A shadow crossed his face. “I was thinking... that if they’d sent another hunter who wasn’t you, I might’ve just let him finish the job,” he admitted.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest. “Don’t say that.”

My hand moved on its own, reaching up to cup his cheek, grounding him back here with me.

His skin was cool under my touch, and it reminded me just how much had changed about him and how much hadn’t.

His eyes softened, his hand lifting to cover mine, pressing it gently to his face.

Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, nuzzling into my palm, as if he could find solace there.

“I feel like I’ve been sleepwalking for years, just an empty vessel carrying out orders,” he admitted quietly. “But then... you showed up. And somehow, I felt alive again. If a vampire can feel alive.”

Heat crept up my face, my heart pounding.

His words were raw, vulnerable, like he was peeling away the walls he’d spent so long building. And he was doing it for me.

My fingers traced along his cheek, my voice coming out soft, barely above a whisper.

“For a long time I refused to believe you were dead, Gabriel.” I bit my lip, “Finding our you’re alive and that I was sent to kill you…it was a shock.”

The space between us seemed to disappear.

His fingers slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer until our breaths mingled, our eyes locked.

There was so much unspoken between us, a thousand things that needed to be said, yet the words were lost, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the moment.

“Finn,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips.

My heart fluttered, my pulse quickening as he moved closer, his breath brushing over my skin.

I leaned into him, closing the gap between us, and our mouths met, soft at first, tentative, as if testing the waters.

But the intensity built quickly, the kiss deepening, his hands holding me like I was something precious.

I let my hands roam up his chest. The kiss turned slow, lingering, as if neither of us wanted to break the spell.

When we finally parted, his forehead rested against mine, his hands still tangled in my hair.

“I don’t know where this is going,” he whispered, his voice raw, his gaze searching mine. “But I can’t let you walk away. Not now. Not after everything.”

My own voice was shaky, thick with emotion.

“Then don’t,” I murmured. “We’ll figure it out, Gabriel. We’ll find a way.”

It was easy enough to say the words, but to make it a reality? That was another matter entirely.

I didn’t know what lay ahead for us, or how we’d survive the Guild or Beric.

But at the same time, there was something undeniable, something that burned beneath the fear and even hope.

I watched Gabriel’s face, his expression softening as he gazed back at me, his fingers tracing idle circles along my shoulder, as though he needed the contact as much as I did.

How could we possibly make this work?

“Do you really think we can?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

I wasn’t sure if I was asking him or myself, but I needed him to believe it. I needed him to tell me it wasn’t all some fleeting dream.

Gabriel’s hand slipped to my chin, tilting my face up to meet his eyes. His gaze was intense, steady.

“We have to try,” he said. “But one thing’s certain. We need to leave the city soon.”

ASHER

Asher’s muscles coiled tight as he circled the training floor.

He watched each student closely as they grappled and struck at each other.

The training hall was bright, with walls lined with mirrors and mats covering every inch of the floor to soften inevitable falls.

Sweat glistened on the trainees’ brows, and Asher could see their muscles straining as they pushed themselves through his rigorous exercises.

Every strike, every block, every dodge, they were all meticulous, drilled into them by Asher himself.

They knew better than to make mistakes when he was watching. But today, even his own precision felt off.

His mind was elsewhere, back on the worries and unanswered questions he had about Finn.

The door swung open, and one of the Guild messengers, a young man with an unreadable expression, slipped in quietly.

The messenger waited by the door, but his presence was like a pin in Asher’s side, his expression all but screaming urgency.

Asher’s blood ran cold. He didn’t need to ask to know this had something to do with Finn.

He motioned for the class to pause, their stances frozen mid-kick and mid-punch.

“Continue without me,” he told them.

He met the messenger’s gaze, searching for any hint of good news in his eyes, but the man simply turned and led him through the halls without a word.

“Is this about Finn?” Asher demanded as they walked.

But the messenger only gave a slight shake of his head. Typical, he thought bitterly.

Finn was supposed to be home by now, and the silence was maddening.

He and Donovan had discussed the issue late last night. They both knew how dangerous Craven Hill could be.

He told Donovan about the last conversation he had with Finn.

There were blanks. Important details the Elders had kept hidden from Finn when they assigned him that mission.

Donovan had insisted on being patient, but Asher had been ready to go search for his brother then and there.

They’d fought and ended up disagreeing.

It took everything in him to school his expression into a mask of indifference as he reached Elder Marcus’s office.

His pulse hammered in his ears as he knocked.

“Enter,” came Marcus’s cold, measured voice.

Asher stepped inside, feeling every muscle in his body tense at the sight of Marcus’s impassive expression.

“Take a seat, Asher,” Marcus said, his voice as empty as the eyes that watched Asher take his seat.

But Asher couldn’t hold back anymore.

He leaned forward, barely sitting before the words tumbled out. “Is this about Finn? Where is he? Is he alright?”

“Calm down, Asher.” Marcus’s tone was dismissive, but it did little to quell the simmering rage just beneath Asher’s calm exterior.

Normally, he was the embodiment of restraint. A quality that had gotten him far in his training, that had helped him protect his brothers.

But now, he wanted nothing more than to shake answers out of Marcus, to make him understand that this wasn’t just another assignment.

Marcus leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he regarded Asher.

“Finn successfully completed his mission,” he said slowly, each word chosen with cold precision. “But he’s run into some…complications. He can’t get out of Craven Hill just yet.”

“Complications?” Asher repeated, barely keeping his voice steady.

Finn had been expected to return today, but he’d heard nothing. There were only so many reasons why that would be the case.

“What exactly do you mean by complications?” he demanded, his worry intensifying with every passing second.

Marcus’s eyes narrowed, though his tone stayed as calm and indifferent as ever.

“Finn was supposed to report to us today,” he said slowly. “But from what we gather, he may be in greater danger than he previously indicated.”

Asher was on the edge of his seat, a storm of anger and fear building inside him.

His jaw clenched as he waited, wondering if Marcus was about to dismiss Finn as a lost cause.

He braced himself, mentally preparing for the cold, clinical statement that would end Finn’s future with the Guild, that would toss him aside like so many others before him.

But Marcus surprised him.

“That’s why we’ve decided to send you to retrieve him.”

Shock rippled through Asher, his mask slipping for just a moment. The Guild wasn’t known for second chances.

They discarded weak hunters when they outlived their usefulness, a lesson Asher had learned young, and one he’d thought Finn was now facing firsthand.

But here Marcus was, telling him to go after his brother, to bring him back.

And the Guild rarely, if ever, gave orders they didn’t intend to see carried out. Maybe Finn had done something remarkable.

“I’ll leave right away,” he said, his voice low, too raw with anger and relief to say anything else.

He forced himself to hold back a flood of bitter words, to keep his fury at Marcus and the Guild from spilling over.

If he let his rage loose now, it could jeopardize everything.

“You know,” Marcus said, watching him with a detached, almost curious look, “I once thought Finn was the weakest of you three, but your brother has impressed us.”

Asher was already by the door, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Marcus’s words felt like barbed wire, twisting in his chest, threatening to tear through his thin facade of calm.

He knew Marcus was baiting him, but he couldn’t resist.

He turned, fixing Marcus with a cold stare. “Impressed you how?” he asked. “What exactly did you send him out to do?”

“Kill the man he loved,” Marcus answered without a hint of remorse, as if he’d just commented on the weather.

The words landed with a sickening weight, making Asher’s stomach twist.

A chill crawled down his spine, mingling with the growing fury that burned hotter with every heartbeat.

Finn had only ever loved one man his entire life. Gabriel.

Asher had assumed Gabriel was dead, like everyone else, but Marcus was implying he wasn’t.

Had Gabriel been turned into a monster, and they sent Finn to eliminate him?

Asher felt a surge of protectiveness so fierce it nearly overwhelmed him.

If he’d known what the Guild was asking, he would have fought tooth and nail to keep Finn from that fate, to shield him from the twisted games the Elders played.

He bit back any further words, knowing they’d only feed Marcus’s smug satisfaction.

Instead, he offered a curt bow of his head, excused himself, and left the room.

But the moment he was out of sight, his fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms as he forced his breathing to slow.

Finn… The Guild had sent him to kill Gabriel, and still, he’d survived.

Against the odds, his little brother had made it through, and now it was his turn to make sure Finn got home safely.

But he couldn’t allow himself to think of the pain Finn had been forced to endure or the ways it might have changed him.

He had to focus, had to be ready for anything if he wanted to bring Finn back from Craven Hill.

His steps were brisk as he headed toward his quarters, already mentally running through a list of supplies he’d need for the mission.

He couldn’t afford any mistakes. Not when Finn’s life was at stake.

The image of Finn, determined, reckless and brave, was seared into his mind as he readied himself.

Yet as he packed, a fierce thought kept gnawing at him. They’d almost discarded Finn, but it wouldn’t be that easy.

Hell would freeze over before he’d let the Guild claim another life from his family.