“Clara.” Dad’s voice sounded from the door. “What’s wrong?” I glanced at him and mom who were both throwing me worried gazes.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.” I smacked Lucas’ hand away, straightening up.
“Kasan.” I stepped to him, fingers hesitantly reaching out to grasp his arm. Relief flooded me when he didn’t push me away. “Its Nate…” I whispered, “Nate and Lora. They’re the traitors. I know how that looks with Lucas being her mate, but he’s not one of them, I promise you that. I don’t know who else, but I’m certain about those two. And I heard, Nate is somehow your father’s son… You know what that means, right? You can’t trust anyone, all we have is each other…you, me, mom, dad and Lucas. You’re going to kill them all, right? Then, together…let’s d—”
“Did he do that to you?” Words left his lips, words that were directed at me, yet his eyes still hadn’t even touched my figure.
“You mean these bruises? Well yeah but t—”
“Stay.”
Wait what? Stay? Stay where? Is he telling me to stay away?
“Jace is not too far from here, have him do his job as soon as he arrives. If anything happens to my brother in his presence, I will kill him.”
Jace? The doctor guy?
“But he’s barely breathing and the wound is clearly no joke. I don’t think—”
“He won’t die.” Kasan’s voice was firm, filled with a pitiful amount of unshakable belief. “He definitely won’t die.”
Everyone in this room should know that was bullshit but I nodded anyway. “You’re right, he won’t die. He’s a tough guy.”
“Lucas, you’re with me, the rest of you…don’t leave this room.” With only that, he snatched his arm from my grasp and spun on his heel, fists clenched at his side as he headed straight for the door.
I blinked.
“Understood.” Lucas trailed close behind him.
Huh!?
“The rest of you? I just said we’d do this together! TO-GETH-ER!” I rushed after him, ignoring the disapproving look mom and dad gave me and swiftly lunged for his arm. “You can’t seriously expect me to stay in here while you both fight to the death outside! I’m not l-”
My lips sealed close when his eyes darted to my figure for the first time since we came, the weight of his gaze heavier than I’d ever felt.
“That was an order.”
O-Order?
I pulled my hand back without having being told, my mouth running dry as a jolt of electricity ran through me, one that stiffened me in place. My heart picked up speed, and the burst of energy that had been pumping through my veins quickly died out.
What is this feeling?
Their backs drifted further and further away and as much as I wanted to move, to chase after them and demand to fight… my legs wouldn’t let me.
Fuck.
What did he do? Why can’t I move?!
“What did you do to me?! Kasan!”
“Hey!”
“Listen to me!”
They both halted just in front of the door, and just when I thought they’d finally hear me out, the sound of bones cracking suddenly filled the space. Mom and dad quickly shuffled away to the corner of the shed, while I stood in place, watching wide-eyed as their figures quickly morphed, shoulders slouching, veins raising, claws lengthening and face narrowing. In the blink of an eye, two dark black wolves stood on their legs in front of us, one visibly larger than the other.
At that point, my lips didn’t bother to open nor call-out to them. I stayed as silent as a mouse, fists at my sides as they burst through the wooden door. The bottom half shattered to pieces and through that opening, a smug Nate’s face greeted me from a distance, his hands crossed over his chest and his wolves slowly circling him like shields.
“My precious Clara~” He cocked his head, a broad grin forming on his lips. “Just how did you manage to escape? You’re really a defiant one, aren’t you? Still, nothing changes. Your mate will die here today. Though I must say, it was quite disappointing having to kill Kenley myself. But that was until I realized the result is the same as I hoped. The big bad alpha has completely lost it!”
Growls were exchanged, but I didn’t move.
Then in seconds, the thundering of paws were heard as Kasan and Lucas made a suicidal dash for the army of wolves… and yet, I still didn’t move.
Even as claws finally clashed and the middle of my palms began to itch… I was as still as a rock.
The reason they left me behind had already occurred to me: I’m basically no more than a weak human. Aside from the blood that runs through my veins…I’m nothing like them, am I? I can’t fight. I can’t release my claws at will. I can’t do anything. I can only work with guns and it seems bullets barely do anything to them. Being out there now would only slow them down. I would be of no use…
Then and there, it was the first time I actually wished I… was the same as those two.
“Are we just going to hide in here?” Father came behind me, a comforting hand patting my shoulder.
“Lucas is protecting the shed.” Mom joined us at the door, craning her neck so she could peer outside. She was sweating and her face had paled to worrying degree. “And that Kasan is fighting against more than two dozen wolves. I honestly don’t think they stand a chance.”
“No, scratch that…” Dad pushed me aside, moving closer to the door. “There’s even more! Who is that woman?”
A woman?
I looked closer, eyes zooming in on an awfully familiar figure leaving the edge of the woods. Her slender body was covered from the neck down to her ankle with a white gown that was only slightly different from the one I’d seen her wearing before.
The Elder…!
What’s worse, there were dozens of wolves behind her, easily doubling the size of Nate’s army. Fuck.
“Should we help?” Dad piped up. “My aim gets sloppy when I’m up against those nasty creatures but… I feel pathetic sitting back and letting others protect me.”
“You heard him.” I threw my gun to the floor and gritted my teeth, kicking it aside as I looked away from the battle. “No one leaves the shed.”
This is fucking frustrating!
“Then what about the human? He’s dying.”
The human?
My neck snapped towards Kenley, cursing under my breath. He still hasn’t moved an inch. How did I manage to forget about him?!
Raking a hand through my hair, I returned to his side, stooping to press my ear to his chest again. I stayed still for a few seconds and listened, sighing when I faintly heard his heartbeats…one then another.
He’s definitely dying and I don’t know one thing about these things. With a hole through his gut, is there even a way to save him? It’s a matter of time before his heart stops beating comp—
“Human…must not…die.”
I flinched, caught off guard by the echoing of a female voice. It’s that again…the voice! I’m now more than certain that it’s in my head. Am I really going crazy?
“…Human…is important…to…mate…”
“…must…not…die…”
“Di-Did…” I darted my eyes to father and gripped my head as it began to throb, face scrunching, “…you guys hear that?”
“The wolves? Lucas is barely holding them off, but we’re not in grave danger…yet.”
I shook my head.
“Not the wolves…I mean, the woman. She keeps…talking to me. Fuck, my head hurts! Am I really going crazy? This voice…what is it? Something like a mind link? How is this possible?”
The room went silent, their mouths clamping shut as they glanced at each other, a dreadful look on their faces.
“Blood…” The voice sounded again, this time louder.
B-Blood?…
“Give blood…and he won’t die…”
“Do…it…”
“Do…it or I…make you…”
W-What?