Chapter 30: You Let Her Die!
Maeve
"Get away from me!"
I was running, frantic, tripping and stumbling through the dense greenbelt that lay between the castle ground and the village below. There was noise all around me; screaming, shouting, the eerie high-pitched howl of wolves.
I could hear him behind me, his breath catching in his throat as he cursed aloud, begging me to stop.
"You're running right into it, Maeve. You need to stop for a minute. We need to come up with a plan to get to the port-"
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" My face was tight from my dried tears as I spoke.
"Look around!" he bellowed as he clutched me by the shoulder, pulling me to a stop. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was in incredible pain. One arm was dangling at his side, bent and bleeding profusely from a terrible, protruding fracture in his forearm. I should help him, heal him.
No. I wouldn’t. He was as good as dead to me.
But he was right; fire was blazing in the village. We could see the amber light through the trees and the smoke beginning to drift into the canopy of leaves over our heads.
I turned to him as his hand left my shoulder. He cradled his arm again, his chest heaving with effort.
"Who the f*ck are you?" I said, unable to hide the heartbreak in my voice.
He shook his head, sweat dripping off his jaw as he bent forward, leaning into a tree for support. "I'm really hurt, Maeve.
I can't shift like this. I thought we had more time."
"More time for what, Troy? If that’s even your real name-"
"It is."
"What is happening right now? What happened to Gemma?" My voice cracked as I said her name. I hadn't processed it yet. Everything that had happened within the last half hour was a total blur, only little fragments of memory floating around in my mind. But Gemma's screams were clear. They were still ringing in my ears.
"Alpha Damian of Poldesse is invading. He's taking over Drogomor."
"Why? Is that why you're here?”
"No. At least, I didn't know this was his plan. I thought-" he swayed, pitching forward. I felt my body moving to help him without my permission, but I righted myself, my fingers curling into fists. "Romero he-Damian used me. I was a decoy to keep you and Ernest distracted while he made his move."
"What does this have to do with me? I'm not the Luna yet-"
He looked up at me, his eyes shining with unimaginable pain, "Damian wants you for something I don’t understand. Romero was in on it, he tried to explain it to me but I thought he was just a mad old fool, I-"
the air around us and I jumped,
later... I can't think straight. I
I'm not going anywhere with you." I started to walk forward again, grinding my teeth as my skin prickled with mingled guilt and fury. I didn't need him. I could figure things out on my
to get you to my ship. You’re not safe in Valoria. All of Damian's
there. She was just behind the door, and you
They would have killed me, too. They would have taken you to Damian, and I am certain
make." I swallowed a sob, blinking back a fresh batch of
have to go, Maeve. We
what? I just... trust you? Let you take me to your ship?
to trust
"I don’t-”
safe, Maeve. I will
Ernest? He's my family. He's out
flashed in Troy's eyes for a second, then he looked away, hurt lining his face. "Ernest wants to be on his own. He doesn't need us to help
"What does he—"
mate," he said. "I have no way of describing to you what that feels
"Neither would you!"
behind my eyes. "I do know. I know what it feels like to find your
of jealousy rippled through my system. I swallowed it down, praying it didn't show on my face as he continued to watch
continued, lowering his gaze before struggling to
lot
I looked at him, my gaze leaving his face and settling
bit my lip, inhaling deeply as I
I took his face between my
he opened his mouth to mine. Nothing would ever be the same after this. Every feeling, every touch had been a lie. The man I met in the market was gone. The man who teased me, who tossed me in the grass and ran his fingers down
I knew my powers were weak. My own wounds from our fall from the fourth-story window were slow to heal. The minuscule amount of blood I had given him might have been enough to take the edge off his pain, give
wouldn’t be able to shift and
face tilted up to the sky as he breathed in,
again," I whispered, my heart
***
through the smoke. I was supporting Troy, his good arm wrapped around my shoulder and his broken arm tied to his
stalls were only embers now. The old stone buildings were being licked by flames, and their thatch roofs blackened and fell in, showering the
made our way down the center of the road, unintelligible shadows amongst
flames, the covered porch cracking and collapsing on
would inherit ruin, not a pack.
out of the smoke, her long gray hair billowing out behind
I almost dropped Troy in surprise. He was barely conscious
see what was once their home through the smoke, flames totally engulfing it. Violent thunder boomed over our
get to the river,
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