Page 17 of Finn (Vampire Vows #1)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

FINN

The fight erupted without warning.

Asher lunged, quick and unrelenting, his expression carved from stone.

I stepped back just in time to avoid his first strike, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I knew this was inevitable, but part of me couldn’t quite believe it. I was fighting my big brother.

The one who taught me how to throw my first punch, who patched me up after I’d skinned my knee a dozen times growing up.

Now, he was coming at me with the same precision and force he used to train Guild recruits, and there was no holding back.

“Asher, stop!” I shouted, dodging another blow.

His only response was a grim look, his mouth set in a hard line. Asher didn’t speak, didn’t try to reason with me.

He’d decided what needed to be done, and he was carrying it out with a cold, unflinching resolve.

I ducked as he swung again, his movements sharp and calculated.

For a moment, I thought he was intent on killing me, but then I noticed the glint of something in his fist.

Not a blade or a weapon. At least, not in the conventional sense.

A syringe. The realization hit like a punch to the gut.

He wasn’t trying to kill me; he was trying to incapacitate me and drag me back to the Guild.

“Asher, stop. Let’s talk about this!” I pleaded, ducking another swing and twisting out of reach.

“Enough talking, Finn,” he said grimly.

His words only stoked the fire in my chest.

My own brother thought I was too far gone to be trusted with my own choices. That I needed to be saved.

Anger bubbled up, but I forced myself to focus on the fight.

I couldn’t let my emotions get the better of me. Not when Asher was fighting like his life depended on it.

He came at me again, faster this time, his movements smooth and relentless.

I barely managed to block his strikes, my arms already aching from the effort.

Asher was better than me; he always had been. Faster, stronger, more disciplined.

Fighting him felt like trying to take down a mountain with a toothpick.

But I wasn’t about to let him win.

I ducked and weaved, trying to find an opening, but Asher didn’t give me any.

He pressed forward, his strikes growing more aggressive.

Asher wasn’t just trying to subdue me anymore. He was trying to wear me down, and it was working.

I stumbled back, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Asher saw the opening and lunged, the syringe glinting in the faint light.

I twisted out of the way at the last second, my shoulder slamming into the side of the truck. Pain flared, but I pushed it aside.

“Asher, I don’t want to do this!” I shouted, hoping, praying, that some part of him would listen.

“Neither do I,” he said, his voice quieter now, but no less determined. “But I won’t let you throw away your life, Finn. Not like this.”

His words stung, sharper than any blow he’d landed so far. But there was no time to dwell on it.

Asher came at me again, the syringe aimed for my neck. I ducked low and swept my leg out, trying to knock him off balance.

He stumbled but recovered quickly, his grip on the syringe tightening.

He didn’t hesitate as he came at me again, his movements a blur of calculated strikes.

I fought back with everything I had, but I could feel myself faltering. My heart wasn’t in this fight. Not like his was.

Asher was fighting to save me, to bring me back to the life he thought I belonged to. And me?

I was fighting to keep my freedom, to hold on to the life I was trying to build with Gabriel.

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t giving it my all. Because this was Asher. My brother.

He feinted left, then lunged right, catching me off guard.

The syringe came dangerously close to my arm, and I barely managed to twist out of the way in time.

“Asher, please,” I said, my voice breaking.

“No, Finn,” he said, his voice hard as steel. “You don’t get to throw everything away for him. Not for a vampire.”

His words cut deep, but I pushed the pain aside. I couldn’t let him win. Not this time.

Asher lunged again, and this time I was ready.

I ducked under his swing and tackled him to the ground, the impact knocking the breath out of both of us.

The syringe clattered to the pavement, and we both froze for a split second before scrambling for it.

Asher’s hand closed around my wrist, trying to pull me away, but I pushed back with everything I had.

My fingers grazed the syringe, and I lunged forward, grabbing it just as Asher tried to pull me away.

Without thinking, I turned and jabbed the needle into his neck.

“Asher!” I gasped, my voice filled with a mix of panic and regret.

He froze, his eyes widening in shock.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Then his grip on my arm loosened, and he slumped against me, his body going limp.

I caught him before he hit the ground, lowering him gently onto the pavement.

My hands trembled as I checked his pulse, relief flooding through me when I found it steady.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I’m so sorry.”

I dragged him to the truck, every step feeling like a betrayal.

His body was heavy, his breathing slow and even. The dosage must have been strong, stronger than I’d anticipated.

By the time he woke up, Gabriel and I would be long gone.

Hundreds of miles away, hopefully far enough that Asher wouldn’t be able to track us again.

But as I hurried back to Gabriel, I couldn’t shake the weight pressing down on my chest.

I’d won the fight, but it didn’t feel like a victory. It felt like I’d lost something I could never get back.

By the time I returned to Gabriel, he was leaning casually against the car, chatting with the tow truck operator. A man named Todd, according to his shirt patch.

Our car was already hooked to the back of Todd’s truck, ready to be hauled away.

The moment Gabriel saw me, though, his easy demeanor shifted.

His sharp eyes scanned my face, and I could see the tension flood his features.

Whatever Todd had been saying was left unfinished as Gabriel murmured something to him and crossed the short distance between us.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Gabriel asked, his voice low and urgent.

I shook my head quickly, unable to speak. Not yet.

My mind was still racing, caught between guilt and frustration. Thankfully, Gabriel didn’t press me.

Todd called over, offering us a ride to the nearest town while our car was being worked on.

Gabriel nodded, murmuring his thanks before gently guiding me toward the truck.

Seated in the back, I leaned against the door, trying to ground myself in the rhythm of the road as Todd drove.

Gabriel sat next to me, his posture stiff with concern.

He kept sneaking me worried glances, his fingers brushing against mine as though to remind me he was there.

I eventually gave in and reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly.

He squeezed back, his touch reassuring despite the questions I could see in his eyes.

Todd dropped us off at the town’s small diner, the only place open at this hour.

He assured us the car would be ready in a few hours and wished us luck.

Gabriel thanked him again, his voice calm despite the storm brewing beneath the surface.

Inside the diner, we slid into a booth in the back, away from the scattered patrons.

A flickering light above us cast the room in an uneven glow, and the air-conditioning hummed louder than it needed to.

The icy chill made me shiver, and before I could say anything, Gabriel shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

“You’re freezing,” he murmured.

I managed a faint smile in thanks, clutching the jacket tighter around me.

When the waitress brought two steaming cups of coffee, I took a sip too quickly, burning the tip of my tongue.

I winced, setting the cup down.

Gabriel, ever patient, just watched me, his hands wrapped around his own mug, although I knew he didn’t intend to drink it.

He wasn’t rushing me, wasn’t demanding answers.

Gabriel knew I’d tell him when I was ready. That quiet understanding gave me the courage to finally break the silence.

“I bumped into Asher at the convenience store,” I said, my voice barely audible over the hum of the diner.

Gabriel’s brow furrowed, and I could see the questions forming, but he stayed quiet, letting me continue.

“Apparently, after the Elders told him I couldn’t leave Craven Hill, he went looking for me on his own. When he couldn’t find me, he followed Gael to track me down,” I said.

For a brief moment, Gabriel looked impressed, a flicker of respect crossing his face at Asher’s persistence.

But then his expression darkened, the weight of what I was saying sinking in.

“What happened after you talked?” he asked, his voice carefully even.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head.

“Talk? It didn’t take long for him to try and knock me out. He had a syringe. He planned to drag me back to the Guild,” I angrily said.

Gabriel’s eyes widened, horror flashing across his face. He reached across the table and took my hands in his, rubbing them gently.

His comforting touch eased some of the tension in my chest.

“Somehow, I got the better of him,” I continued, my voice breaking slightly. “I knocked him out instead. Left him by his truck. He’ll wake up in a few hours.”

Gabriel squeezed my hands, his thumbs tracing soothing circles over my knuckles.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said softly. “I wondered if I should have checked on you, but then Todd arrived...”

“You showing up would’ve made things worse,” I said, my voice firm. “Asher would’ve lost it if he saw you. It was better this way. I handled it.”

Gabriel nodded slowly. “You’re right. But... things are getting more complicated, aren’t they?”

I recognized the look on his face instantly, and my heart clenched.

That distant, conflicted expression—Gabriel was having second thoughts. Not just about our plan, but about us.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. How could he?

After everything we’d been through, after the sacrifices we’d made and the dangers we’d faced together, how dare he stand there and question it all?

Did he think this was easy for me? That I hadn’t torn myself apart making this choice, knowing what I’d lose?

My family, my old life for him. And now, here he was, looking at me like I was just some foolish kid chasing an impossible dream.

It felt like a betrayal, sharp and cruel, cutting deeper than I thought possible.

I tightened my grip on his hands, as if holding him tighter would keep him from saying what I knew was coming.

“Gabriel,” I warned, my voice low. “Don’t even think about suggesting we part ways.”

He gave me a pained look, his expression filled with a mix of regret and resignation.

“Maybe your brother’s right, Finn. It’s not too late for you to go back to your old life. I know how to disappear. It would be like I was really?—”

“Dead?” I interrupted, my voice rising.

The word felt like a slap, and anger flared inside me, hot and uncontrollable. I yanked my hands away from his.

“Finn—” he began, but I cut him off.

“Don’t. Don’t even say it.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

After everything we’d been through, after all the sacrifices I’d made, he was ready to throw it all away?

“I’m just saying?—”

“I know what you’re saying!” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger and hurt.

I continued, “You think this is all a mistake. That I’m better off without you. Well, guess what, Gabriel? I don’t care what you think. I made my choice, and I’m not going back.”

Gabriel flinched, his expression twisting with guilt, but I wasn’t done.

“You don’t get to decide what’s best for me. Not Asher, not the Guild, and not you. I chose you. And if you can’t accept that...” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Then maybe you don’t trust me as much as I thought you did.”

Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating.

Gabriel’s face was a mixture of pain and indecision, and I couldn’t stand to look at it any longer.

I downed the rest of my coffee in one bitter gulp and stood abruptly.

“Finn,” Gabriel said softly, reaching for me, but I stepped back.

“I need some air. Don’t follow me,” I said, my voice flat.

Without waiting for a response, I slipped out of the booth and walked out of the diner, the bell above the door jingling behind me.

The cool night air hit my face, but it did nothing to ease the storm raging inside me.

I paced along the sidewalk, trying to calm my breathing, trying to untangle the mess of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

I wasn’t just angry. I was hurt. Hurt that Gabriel didn’t believe in me, in us.

After everything we’d been through, I thought we were stronger than this.

But maybe I was wrong.