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

for this. I’ll explain later... I can't think straight. I need to get you to

already said I'm not going anywhere with you." I started to walk forward again, grinding my teeth as my skin prickled

need to get you to my ship. You’re not safe in

once more. "She was right there. She was just behind the door, and you didn't help. You didn't

me, too. They would have taken you to Damian, and I am certain your fate would have been worse. I did it to protect

swallowed a sob, blinking

have to go, Maeve. We can’t talk about

me to your ship? Where exactly are we going to

to trust

"I don’t-”

will keep you safe, Maeve. I will reunite

what about Ernest? He's my family. He's

lining his face. "Ernest wants to be on his own. He

"What does he—"

have no way of describing to you

"Neither would you!"

something behind my eyes. "I do know. I know what

swallowed it down, praying it didn't show on my face as he continued to

her," he continued, lowering his gaze before struggling to push himself off

lot of time

are you-" I looked at him, my gaze leaving his face and settling on the blood-soaked sleeve of his shirt.

inhaling deeply as I bit down even harder, enough to draw

then I took his face between my hands and kissed

I met in the market was gone. The man who teased me, who tossed me in the grass and ran his fingers down the rise of my hips while

minuscule amount of blood I had given him might have been enough to take the edge off his pain, give him enough strength to

swell. He wouldn’t be able to shift and function with only two of his limbs in

kiss, his face tilted up to the sky as

me again," I whispered, my

***

arm wrapped around my shoulder and his

only embers now. The old stone buildings were being licked by flames, and their thatch roofs blackened and fell in, showering the

way down the center of the road, unintelligible shadows amongst the

the covered porch cracking

not a

from the smoke-filled street ahead of us. A figure limped out of the smoke, her long gray hair billowing out behind her like a cloak as

dropped Troy in surprise. He was barely conscious at this point, his head bobbing against

once their home through the smoke, flames totally engulfing it. Violent

river,

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