Page 74 of Shadowed Fate

But fuck him for making it come to this.

I lean in close, unwilling to drop the charade. "Perhaps I simply wanted to see you let loose, pet. You're always so tightly wound. It's not healthy, you know."

"Fuck you," Brigid spits, her chest heaving. "I'm not your goddamn toy to play with. You had no right."

Brigid's words slice through me, sharp as a scalpel. I maintain my mask of unconcern, but inside, I'm disgusted with myself. She's correct, of course. I had no right.

Her voice drops to a deadly whisper, barely audible over the clatter of silverware on porcelain. "I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you."

I shrug, feigning indifference.

She turns on her heel and storms out of the dining hall.

Fuck. I've really screwed up this time.

Rory sits across from me, his usual easy grin replaced by a unsettling glare. He leans towards me.

"What thefuckdid you do, Callen?” I notice his hands are clenched into fists.

“She couldn’t handle her liquor.” I lean back in my chair, affecting nonchalance I don't feel. "Come now, Rory. It was just a bit of fun."

"Fun? You call upsetting Brigid fun? You're a real piece of shit sometimes, you know that?"

Always the protector, our Rory. It would be touching if it wasn't so damn irritating.

His eyes flash. "You're an asshole, Callen. Brigid trusted you, and you fucking used her."

I force a lazy smile, though guilt gnaws at my insides. "Language, mutt. It's hardly becoming."

"Fuck you, fairy," Rory snarls, slamming his fist on the table. Heads turn our way. "You crossed a line. Brigid deserves better than your manipulative bullshit."

Before I can retort, Lochan approaches, his face a hard slab of cold indifference. Rory stands abruptly, chair scraping against the floor.

"I'm out," he snarls. "I can't stand to look at either one of you right now." He strides off, leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake.

Lochan slides into Rory's vacated seat. "What was that about?"

I sigh, dropping the facade. "We need to talk, Loch. This has to stop."

"What are you on about?"

"Your vendetta against Brigid. It ends now."

Lochan's eyes narrow. "What makes you say that?"

"I can assure you, nothing nefarious is going on between Brigid and Marius. Your paranoia is unfounded."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Lochan asks, suspicion lacing his words.

I hesitate, guilt twisting in my gut. "I... obtained the information. Let's leave it at that."

Lochan's eyebrows shoot up. "You didn't."

"I did what I had to do," I snap. "And now that we know she's not a threat, you need to back off. Your hostility is fracturing the group."

"Everything was fine before she showed up," Lochan growls. "She's the problem, not me."

Tiernan, who's been quietly observing, finally speaks up. "Lochan, your emotions are clouding your judgment. You're not thinking clearly."

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