The girls looked around themselves in bewilderment, but Latro and I climbed to our feet. O'Flanagan sat on the counter and swung his legs over the edge.
A wide grin still graced his lips as he gestured to our surroundings. "Was tat a good enough answer for you?"
Any reply was interrupted by a crash as the door was torn off its hinges. The women screamed as David flew through the frame. He was still transformed and covered in blood. I couldn't tell if it was his or someone else's. His yellow eyes swept over us. The formerly-kidnapped women let out some high-falsetto screams that made me wince.
O'Flanagan clapped one hand over his ear and glared at them. "Enough of tat, my dears!"
The little man waved his other hand at them. A white mist floated from his wiggling fingers and fell over the tightly-packed group of terrified women. Their eyes rolled back in their heads and they slumped to the floor.
The leprechaun grinned. "Tey'll sleep all night and won't remember a ting from our little adventure."
Latro took a step back from David and glared at him. "This adventure isn't over yet."
I stood and stepped between the hunter and the hunted. "I'll deal with him."
Latro pursed her lips. "You'd better, or his blood-lust will kill us all."
I turned my attention to David. His eyes fell on me and lit up. I approached him with my arms outstretched and my palms up. "Hey, David. You know me." His eyes narrowed and his lips curled back in a snarl. I swallowed hard but didn't stop my approach. "It's your mate, remember? You haven't forgotten me already, have you? You gave me your mother's necklace today. See?" I pulled out the necklace I'd kept hidden in my shirt all night.
O'Flanagan jumped to his feet and his eyes bulged out of his head. "Well, I'll be a saint. . ."
David blinked. The color of his eyes changed from yellow to their usual dark color. His height shrank and his clothes hung loose on his body. I rushed over and leapt into his arms just as he returned to normal.
He wrapped his arms around me and smelled my hair. His soft words brushed against my ear and sent a thrilling tingle through me. "My beautiful, wonderful mate. You never cease to amaze me."
I pulled us to arm's length and scowled at him. "And you never cease to scare me half to death." I nodded at the blood on his mangled shirt and pants. "Is that yours?"
He chuckled and his eyes twinkled. "Let's just say I'm not very kosher right now, and the dear proprietor is going to need a few dozen stitches."
"You promised me you weren't going to transform again," Latro spoke up. We turned to find her standing with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Close beside her stood O'Flanagan with his bulging eyes stuck on my necklace.
David sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "The pig-man wasn't taking 'no' for an answer, so I had to show him 'no.'"
Latro pursed her lips, but dropped her arms to her sides. "I'll let it slide this time, monster, but only because the women got back. When I leave this place we're going to be enemies again, got it?"
O'Flanagan snatched her hand and leaned towards her with a sly smile on his lips. "Now where do you tink you're going?"
She yanked her hand free and glared at him. "To my home for a long, hot shower."
He chuckled and tapped the side of his nose. "Aren't you forgetting sometin'?"
"And a long rest," she added.
He opened his arms and smiled at her. "But my love, you're coming home wit me."
Latro's eyes widened. She stepped back and sneered at him. "I'm not your love, and like hell I am."
He wagged his finger at her. "Tere's no denying it, my lovely. You broke the spell, and ta home you're going wit me."
"Latro," I called. She turned to me with a horrified look on her face. I tossed the coin and hair to her. "You might be needing these."
She caught them just as O'Flanagan leapt at her. He pulled her hand down close to the sink and turned on the faucet. A burst of light spread over them. The last I saw of either of them was Latro's twisted expression of horror as she was sucked into the water by her one true love.
David blinked at the faucet and glanced down at me. "Mind explaining what that was about?"
I leaned my head against his chest and smiled at the running water. "Just true love, my mate. Just true love."
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