Chapter 3

"Finn," I said, stepping into the dim room.

Finn slowly turned his head.

Six months apart, and his condition had deteriorated rapidly. He looked like a living corpse. His skin clung tightly to his fragile cheekbones, his hair thinned to nothing, and his eyes sank deep into his skull.

Kaelen stepped up behind me and immediately flinched.

"Hey there, buddy," Kaelen said, forcing a bright tone. "I'm Kaelen. Maeve's boyfriend."

"Hello," Finn whispered.

A rare, feverish flush of color crept into his hollow cheeks. His sunken chest heaved as his wide eyes locked dead onto Kaelen's broad, muscular shoulders.

I knew exactly why. Finn was looking at his savior. His replacement.

I grabbed the handles of Finn's wheelchair and pushed him out into the dining room.

The long table was completely loaded. Raw oysters sitting on ice, cracked sea urchin, heavily spiced bull testicles, thick cuts of venison still bleeding onto the ceramic plates, and bowls of pungent, dark herbs.

It was a massive feast of extreme, heavy aphrodisiacs.

Siobhan claimed the head of the table. She completely ignored me and immediately started piling raw meat onto Kaelen’s plate.

"Eat," Siobhan commanded, staring intently at Kaelen's jawline. "Don't hold back."

"Thanks, Mrs.—Siobhan. This is intense." Kaelen chewed a piece of the venison. He paused, looking over the spread of raw seafood and bloody meat.

He leaned into my shoulder, lowering his voice. "Maeve, literally everything on this table is straight-up natural Viagra. What is going on?"

His voice was low, but the dining room was dead quiet.

Siobhan’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Finn completely froze.

Siobhan slowly lowered her hand below the edge of the table.

She was reaching for the carving knife strapped beneath the table, bracing to sever his tendons before he could make a run for the door.

I grabbed Kaelen's forearm, digging my fingers into his sleeve.

"It's the island cold," I said quickly, keeping my voice smooth and sweet. "The dampness gets into your bones. Finn is sick, so we cook these heavy, deep-sea ingredients to keep the cold out and build up heat.

"Plus, this stuff is incredibly expensive." I leaned my head against his shoulder. "We only brought out the best because you are an honored guest. We don't eat like this normally."

The suspicion in Kaelen's eyes melted instantly.

"Oh, got it." Kaelen smiled at my mother, completely satisfied with his own importance.

"Don't worry about the trouble, Siobhan. I'm Maeve's boyfriend. We'll be family soon enough anyway."

Siobhan brought her empty hand back above the table. The grip on the hidden knife released.

"Yes," Siobhan said, her lips curling into a predatory smile. "Very soon."

After dinner, Kaelen headed upstairs to take a hot shower.

I carried the empty plates into the kitchen.

Siobhan stood by the stove. She handed me a ceramic bowl filled with a pitch-black, boiling liquid. It smelled strongly of raw kelp and copper.

"Make sure he drinks this," she ordered.

I stared at the black sludge. The implication hit me instantly.

Tomorrow was the Summer Solstice, the day I officially handed Kaelen over to the village elders.

Siobhan was preparing the merchandise, claiming her right to test him out tonight.

I almost opened my mouth.

I wanted to tell her I had already tried him at the hotel.

I wanted to say he was relentless and possessed enough stamina to last the village a solid few years.

I swallowed the words back down.

Moray Island was a brutal matriarchy. Defying an elder mother was unthinkable, and the punishment for disrespect was incredibly severe.

If I ruined her mood, Kaelen wouldn't be the only one suffering tonight.

"Okay," I said, taking the hot bowl.

I carried the bitter medicine into the guest room.

Kaelen was sitting on the edge of the mattress in just a towel, steam rolling off his chest.

"My mom brewed this for the damp cold," I told him, handing over the bowl. "Drink it fast."

He didn't even question me. Eager to show off his resilience, he tipped his head back and chugged the pitch-black liquid in seconds.

"I'm sleeping in my own room tonight," I whispered, brushing my thumb over his jaw. "Island rules. No sleeping together before the elders approve."

He grinned, tossing the empty bowl onto the nightstand. He pulled me close by the waist.

"I can wait. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

I left his room, walked into my own bedroom next door, and turned off the lights.

I didn't take off my clothes. I lay completely still on top of my blanket, staring at the darkened ceiling, listening.

Thirty minutes later, the floorboards out in the hallway creaked.

It stopped outside Kaelen's room.