Brynn's POV
I had to look down fast to avoid the pain in Arlen's eyes. This gutted me more than I cared to admit. Do I like him? Absolutely. Do I want him? Yes. Can I see a future with him? Never thought I'd say this...but yes.
But I want Arlen Miller alive more.

"Brynn, we can help you." Jason coaxed me gently, his blue eyes sincere and concerned.
"Tara Lowell tried to help me and she's dead. The neighbor who saved my life the night Patrick almost killed me?? I can't get ahold of her!! Patrick is still locked up but he's got connections worse than anyone knows!!" I sobbed, feeling the dam finally break. I was in such a hysterical state I didn't even notice Arlen pull me to him.
"What is your neighbor's name?" Arlen gently asked me.
"Jane Herrow. She lived in the apartment building I stayed at with Patrick back in Maine." I told him shakily. Through my tears I saw Jason pull his phone out.
"Brynn, I'm not just saying this because I don't want you to leave, but you are much more at risk alone than you are with us." Arlen said.
"But you have a kingdom, Arlen. You can't put that on hold for me." I argued through my tears.

Jason returned to us and from the look on his face before he could even say anything, I knew what had happened to Jane. I fell to the ground and let out a guttural sob. "I'm so sorry, Brynn." Jason said with tears in his own eyes. Emma and Arlen helped pick me up.
"How!?" I bawled.
"She was shot to death in a drive-by." Jason confirmed. I shook my head furiously.
"Tara got a bomb in her car, and now my neighbor who was supposed to testify again in Patrick's appeal case next month suddenly dies? It's no coincidence!" I said with certainty.

"Is there anyone else linked to your case that may be in danger?" Arlen asked me.
"My therapist, the officers who I told at the scene it was Patrick..." I trailed off in horror.
"Your Majesty, what do you think we should do?" Jason asked Arlen.
"For one, we need to get out of this parking lot before we make spectacles of ourselves. Brynn can we all go to your apartment to discuss this further?" Arlen asked me. I nodded, too exhausted to say anything.
"What about him?" Jason jerked his head to the man whose truck I kicked. He has to be a fae. He has the same light eyes and ethereal look Arlen and Jason have.
"Travis, keep an eye on things out here. Under no circumstances are you to divulge what you just heard this morning, or my punishment will be swift! Is that clear!?" The man whose truck I kicked nodded his head, but glared at me.
"Your Majesty, I will do what you ask but what about my truck!! I'm probably going to have to replace the door, it won't even open now!!" I hadn't realized what a number I did to the truck door when I kicked it.
"Tell your mechanic to send me the bill." Arlen told him with authority.
"I'm sorry, Travis." I said, looking down in shame.
"With all due respect to you Queen, you need to get your emotions under control. While I understand you are scared given what I just heard, I have children! What if they had been in my truck when you did this!?" Travis snapped at me. I took a glance inside the truck and saw not one but two car seats, and instantly felt sick. Arlen stiffened and was about to go off but I put my hand on his arm.
"He's right, Arlen. I damaged his property and had no right to do that whatsoever. Travis, I hope you accept my apologies and allow me to cover the damages." I really needed to make this right. Even if I leave today and live on the run, Arlen shouldn't be on the hook for what I did to another person's property.
Travis nodded. "I appreciate that. You have one hell of a kick by the way. You should show some of our women your tricks." We all laughed, and it helped ease the tension.
The four of us went back to my apartment. Emma and Jason were holding hands and smiling at each other. Arlen followed me as I went into the kitchen to get some water. Suddenly, he grabbed me and held me to him so firmly I almost couldn't breathe. But I didn't panic. I guess I am too tired to fight anymore.
"Brynn, never EVER tell me you can't be my mate again!! I don't know why my Goddess decided to mate me with you, but I will have no one else but YOU!" He whispered. Arlen smelled divine and I inhaled his scent greedily, committing it to memory.
"We both know how this will end Arlen. Not only because of Patrick and how psychotic he is, but I'm just a human! I don't know the first thing about being a girlfriend and much less a Queen! Even Travis thinks so!!" I whispered back feeling my tears start back up again.
"You should have let me take care of Travis when he talked to you that way...." I held my hand up.
"You can't do that Arlen. Travis was absolutely right. I'd have been arrested for vandalizing that truck if he'd been anyone else!! If I accept you and this life, and that's still a very big if right now, that means I have to be held accountable when I'm making bad choices or hurting things or people! Me being your mate can't change that." Arlen stared hard at me, and suddenly leaned forward about to kiss me. But I reared back fast and he groaned in frustration.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for that yet." I whispered. Arlen nodded and delivered a light kiss to my forehead that made me weak in the knees.
"I don't want an answer about us now, but at the very least come and stay with me at Dreake. This way I know you are safe and I can sleep at night not being driven out of my mind with worry." I'm too stunned to answer him. Even given what he's seen and just how much of a nuisance I've been to him so far, Arlen is still trying to help me.
"Am I interrupting?" Emma stood in the doorway to my kitchen.
"Arlen has offered for me to stay at his home in Dreake." I told Emma.
"I'll be living at Dreake too with Jason. The guys are right, I'm another link to you for Patrick to find. We're all safer together." Emma smiled widely at me. At least I'll have my best friend there with me. But giving up my independence isn't easy. It's been me myself and I for the last four years. I've depended on no one and I'm terrified of depending on Arlen given what happened with Patrick.
"What about my job? Your job Emma?" I asked her.
"Jason is going to take me to work and pick me up everyday so we can make sure I'm not being followed. I'm turning the keys into my apartment today." Emma said. She really lucked out with Jason. I don't miss the glow my best friend has and am very happy for her.
"I take it you don't think I should go back to Lorenzo's?" I eyed Arlen carefully.
"You make deliveries all over this region into some isolated areas. A perfect place for that son of a b***h or whoever he has hired to strike. I won't be unreasonable about this, however. You want a job and don't want to depend on me and I respect that. So we'll try to figure something out." For the first time all day, I smiled. Arlen is such a good man.
"Thank you, because I'll lose my mind if I don't have something to do." I told him.
"So it's settled then. You are coming with me. There is a suitcase, is there anything else you need to take?" I shook my head and looked around. Most of these things were furnished in the apartment to begin with.
"Do you need to worry about breaking a lease?" Arlen asked me.
"No, I was on a month to month plan. Since it's the middle of the month I'm within my two week notice to not have to pay for next month." I assured him. I went through the apartment I called home for the last three years one more time and left with nothing but bittersweet memories.
While I don't think I'm making a big mistake, there is that doubt I may never really get rid of. That piece of me that is telling me this is all a ruse, that sooner or later Arlen is going to drop his mask just like Patrick did and I'll be stuck once again. Though ultimately I am in a much better place financially than I was back then if this goes bad, and Emma will be there to help me.
"Hey, we'll meet you downstairs in a minute." Emma smiled at the guys. She's known me long enough to know when I'm overwhelmed and my thoughts are racing.
"Let it out Brynn." She told me gently, and I hugged her tightly as I sobbed.
"I'm so scared Em!"
"I know. You're thinking this is too good to be true, right?" She wiped my tears away as I nodded.
"Last night I was thinking the same thing. It's why I was hellbent on going home with Jason. There he was, this sinfully handsome man, and he wanted to hook up with ME of all people! I thought it was too good to be true and was all about having fun, then he showed me his powers and talked about how I was his mate." Emma laughed ruefully.
"You weren't freaked out?" I asked her.
"I was a little at first, but I can't explain it. My mind was throwing all sorts of doubts but my body and my heart were saying 'this is real, Em. This man is crazy about you and we are never going to be with anyone else. He's the one!' Please don't tell him I told you this but I was his first. He saved that part of himself for his mate." Emma confided with me.
"No freaking way! That hot sexy man!?" My jaw hit the floor.
"Hey, you have your own!" Emma playfully snapped at me.
"One thing at a time. I've graciously accepted his offer to stay with him. Everything else is going to have to wait." I shook my head. Suddenly Emma looked serious.
"Brynn, I don't want to come off as lecturing you but don't play games with Arlen. Jason told me that fae mates souls are so entwined together and a fae is at their strongest point when the bond with their mate is at it's best. This isn't some fling of some regular romance. You are not only Arlen's soulmate, you are going to be the Fairy Queen if you accept him. If you keep dodging him and give him mixed signals and doubts about your bond, it's going to hurt both of you very badly." Brynn cautioned me.
"Has he said anything?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Fix your face, Brynn! Arlen hasn't said anything, but anyone with eyes can see he is under a lot of strain!" Emma snapped.
F**k. Emma was absolutely right. I have to stop being so difficult. Suddenly, I remembered what my mother had told me in the vision I had of her years ago when Patrick almost beat me to death.
Have I finally found the soul that will match mine?