Free Forsaken (book 3) (The Charmer series) by Danielle Sanderson Page B

Richard.
    Turning to face her, her face falls when she sees the state I'm in.
    "We should go sweetie," she tells me gently.
    "No, I need to be here."
    "Ok, stay with me, no more wondering off alone. You need vodka, come on," she tells me, forcing a smile on her face before taking my hand and leading me to the bar, where Mickey and Julian sit chatting and laughing.
    "You been crying?" Mickey asks with a growl and stands to his feet.
    "No, I'm fine," I insist.
    There it is again, I'm fine, I'm not, far from it.
    "4 shots of vodka please," Dallah hollers to the waitress behind the bar.
    "We're ok, we got drinks," Julian tells her.
    "I know, they are for me and Zara," she tells him with a kiss to the cheek, making him laugh aloud.
    "Bottoms up!" She laughs whilst handing me my two, very large, shots.
    Knocking them back quickly, I slam the glass down on the bar and order another four.
    "Easy Zara, I need them to settle first."
    "Oh they are for me!" I tell her with no emotion and knock them back before walking away from my friends and onto the dance floor.
     
    Dancing by myself, surrounded by strangers, I lose myself in it, no emotions, nothing but the beat of the music. That is until Mary steps up to me flashing a smile.
    "Do one!" I tell her drunkenly.
    "Oh you are a mess; look at the state of you. There was me looking forward to a bit of competition."
    "There is no competition Mary. This fake mating will never happen," I tell her in disgust.
    "It will, and on that faithful night, I will have his body close to mine, his lips caressing every inch of me, and..."
    I knocked her out, clean out! And while she lays on the floor unconscious, I take the time to go to the bar for another drink.
    "Cut her off," Sallack orders to the waitress who is filing my glass.
    "Ignore him!"
    "No more!"
    "Go away!"
    "What's got in to you, your giving up already?" He asks harshly.
    " Haaa, giving up, good one! I have taken all kinds of shit from you fucking men. Cheating, beatings, broken heart, vile names, forgetting I fucking exist! But here I am, still here through it all, but all you see is me giving up. Why don't you look a little closer Sallack?" I scream at him in frustration.
    "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me."
    "No it wasn't. I've had enough now any way, I'm going home," I tell him before walking away.
    "Let's go then," he announces from my side.
    "I want to be alone."
    "Yeah, I know, but you have this thing going where when you're alone you do something crazy," he jokes.
    "True," I snort a laugh, but soon stop when I think of where I am and who I'm not going home with, "the drink was helping me numb the loneliness taking over. What if this is it?"
    "It's not, you will do it beautiful, you will save him."
    He's right; I will do anything to make Ruk's life full and happy. If Ruk chooses Mary, then I will kill her. I will not live with the guilt of Ruk tricked into mating with Mary. He deserves everything he longs for and it sure as hell is not Mary!
    "We are with you all the way," he tells me kindly, but the kind words that leave these men's lips always have a way of biting them in the butt.
    "Let's go. I'm gunna transport us home, I'm feeling lazy," I tell him before placing my hand on his chest, "you ready?"
    "Hey, you two seen Mary?" Mickey asks just in time.
    "Yeah, she's on the floor," I tell him coolly.
    "Floor?" They ask in harmony.
    "Um hum, floor, having a kip. You ready?" I nod my head to Sallack who laughs aloud.
    "Perfection, truly you are," he tells me with a smirk.
     
    Waking alone with the image of Ruk's headless body, I jolt upright as wipe the sweat from my head. All night I had to relive the shattering moment my life came to a stop.
    Sliding out of bed, I wrap myself in one of Sallack's dressing gowns and head down stairs.
    Sallack and I returned to his home last night, and he kindly gave me his bed, whilst he took the couch.
    Waking into the busy kitchen, I downcast my eyes and groan when I see Ruk and Mary in an