Page 20 of Finn (Vampire Vows #1)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

FINN

Gael didn’t finish his words. Gabriel ducked just as a shot rang out, splitting the night with a deafening crack.

The sound echoed in my ears, and for a heartbeat, everything seemed frozen.

Then I felt the sudden slackening of Gael’s grip as he stumbled backward, a look of stunned disbelief on his face.

The bullet had hit him square in the chest.

Another shot followed before I could fully register what was happening, the force knocking Gael to the ground.

His body jerked once, then went still.

My breath came in shallow, rapid bursts as I twisted to look behind me, toward the direction of the shot.

A figure emerged from the shadows, shotgun in hand. Asher.

My stomach clenched, a mix of relief and dread churning inside me. Gabriel swore next to me.

Asher’s shotgun shifted, no longer aimed at Gael’s unmoving form. Instead, Asher swung the barrel directly toward Gabriel.

My breath caught in my throat, my heart hammering so loud it drowned out everything else.

For a fleeting, terrifying second, I was certain my brother would pull the trigger without a moment’s hesitation.

That all the sacrifices we’d made, all the risks we’d taken, had been for nothing.

Asher’s eyes were hard and unwavering. There wasn’t even a flicker of doubt in his expression, no hesitation that hinted at mercy.

It was the look of a hunter, the same one he’d worn every time he stared down a supernatural creature, prepared to end their existence without a shred of regret.

But this wasn’t just any vampire. It was Gabriel. The man I’d chosen. The man I loved.

“No!” The word tore from my throat, raw and desperate, before I could think of anything else to say.

My body moved on instinct, stepping fully in front of Gabriel, shielding him with my own.

My arms spread wide as if I could somehow make myself an impenetrable barrier.

“Finn, don’t.” Gabriel’s voice was low, a growl of warning.

I ignored him, keeping my focus on Asher.

“Let me handle this,” I told Gabriel over my shoulder, my voice steadier than I felt.

Asher stopped a few feet away, his expression hard as stone.

“Finn, I’m not warning you again. Step aside,” Asher said.

“I’m not going back with you,” I said firmly, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. “I told you, I made my choice.”

Asher’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping the shotgun so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Finn, you can’t be this stupid. There’s no future for you and that vampire,” Asher said.

The words were like a slap, his tone dripping with contempt as he spat the last two words.

My blood boiled, a mix of anger and frustration bubbling to the surface.

Gabriel stood tense behind me, silent but radiating restrained fury.

“I’m not leaving him,” I said.

My voice wavered, but I held my ground.

Asher’s gaze flickered between me and Gabriel, his expression a storm of emotions—confusion, hurt, anger.

“This isn’t you, Finn. You’re better than this. You’re one of us. Don’t throw everything away for… for him,” Asher said.

I wanted to yell, to scream that he didn’t understand.

Instead, I reached up and yanked down the collar of my jacket and shirt, exposing the mark Gabriel had given me.

“I already made my choice,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Asher’s eyes locked onto the mark, his entire body going still. His lips parted, but no words came out.

His grip on the shotgun wavered, the barrel dipping slightly.

“You bastard,” he finally whispered, his voice shaking with fury as his glare shifted to Gabriel. “How dare you.”

Gabriel mercifully said nothing.

“I begged him for it,” I cut in, my voice rising. “This wasn’t his decision. It was mine. I asked for it, Asher.”

“That can’t be true.” His voice cracked, and for a moment, I saw something break in his eyes.

He didn’t want to believe it, but the truth was right in front of him, undeniable.

Gabriel chose that moment to act. In a blur of motion, too fast for the human eye to follow, he closed the distance between us.

Before Asher could react, Gabriel wrenched the shotgun from his hands, emptied it of its shells, and tossed it aside with ease.

In the next instant, he was back at my side, his presence solid and comforting.

“Asher, enough,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m not asking you to understand. I’m asking you to let me go.”

Asher’s shoulders sagged slightly, the fight draining out of him.

He stood there, staring at me as if he didn’t recognize the person in front of him.

“You’re really doing this,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.

I nodded. A heavy silence fell between us. I wondered what thoughts crossed my brother’s mind at that moment.

Was he replaying the years we grew up together?

Did he see me as the same kid who once followed him around, desperate for his approval?

Or was he only seeing a stranger now. A traitor who had turned his back on everything we’d once believed in?

The hard set of his jaw gave nothing away, but the flicker of hesitation in his eyes betrayed him. Was it doubt? Pain? Regret?

Maybe it was all of those things, tangled together in a way even Asher couldn’t fully untangle.

I knew him well enough to recognize when he was trying to mask his emotions, but for once, I couldn’t read him entirely.

I wanted to ask him, to demand answers.

Did he hate me for what I’d done? Would he ever forgive me? Or was this the moment he decided to cut me from his life completely?

The ache in my chest grew sharper with each second that passed in silence.

The Asher I knew, the one who had always tried to be there for me, even when he was too harsh or too stubborn, was someone I couldn’t imagine my life without.

But the man standing before me now, cold and unyielding, felt like a stranger. Would he really be able to let go of this? Of me?

The thought twisted in my gut like a blade.

I’d chosen this path knowing it would cost me, but standing here now, facing the fallout, the weight of that choice felt unbearable.

Could Asher walk away from this and pretend I didn’t exist? Could I?

I knew my brother. He wasn’t the kind of person who let things go easily, and he definitely wasn’t the type to forgive betrayal.

But this was different. I wasn’t just some colleague who’d broken protocol or a stranger who’d crossed him.

I was his brother. His family.

But was that bond strong enough to survive this?

His lips pressed into a thin line, his shoulders rigid as if he were bracing himself against some unseen force.

Finally, Asher stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides.

“I’ll lie for you. I’ll tell the Elders you died,” he said, his voice low and resigned. “This one time. But after this, you’re on your own. You hear me? Don’t come back.”

The finality in his tone hit like a punch to the gut, but I nodded.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Asher didn’t respond. He turned his gaze to Gabriel, his eyes narrowing.

The two of them locked stares, a silent exchange that bristled with tension.

Gabriel’s expression was guarded, but there was something unspoken in his look. Perhaps a trace of respect for Asher’s skill, or maybe just an acknowledgment of the choice Asher had made to let us go.

Asher’s lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word, he turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the shadows.

The moment he was gone, the adrenaline that had been keeping me upright drained from my body.

My legs wobbled, and I felt Gabriel’s steadying hand on my arm.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft but edged with concern.

“No,” I admitted, my voice barely audible. “But I will be.”

Gabriel pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly.

“It’ll be okay, Finn,” Gabriel murmured. “We’ll be okay.”

As much as the pain of parting with Asher tore at me, Gabriel’s embrace reminded me why I’d made my choice.

This was where I belonged.

“I know,” I whispered.