The longer I remained in the pack house that morning the more I felt my heart fracture all over again.
Lyra hadnt returned home the previous night. I knew she was resting right upstairs beside the male who had promised me forever just two days ago. The man who was now the direct source of my internal devastation.
My throat and mouth were bone dry and no amount of water could quench the overwhelming sensation of grief coursing through my system. The pain was physical consuming. My twisted wrist throbbed and the strange burning I felt after the lights went out had settled into a dull ache in my core.
As much as I wanted to run I had duties to perform. The Lycans were due to arrive in a matter of hours and as the lowest ranking member the disgusting aftermath of the celebratory party fell to me. My only objective was to complete the cleanup and vanish but as I heard heavy footsteps hit the main staircase I realized I hadnt moved fast enough.
I was currently staring down at a pool of sickeningly acidic vomit fighting a strong wave of nausea. If I didnt manage to scrape it off the floor quickly there was a high risk that my own face would end up in the mess depending on which pack member had decided to join me. Foolishly I had saved this the worst part of the job for last.
"Elara?" His voice called out softly and my spine immediately stiffened cold dread replacing the familiar flutter I once felt. I truly despised that old nickname.
It was a jarring terrible sensation—the only person who had ever made me feel safe was now the source of my sharpest fear and panic. While the rest of the pack specialized in physical injury the emotional wound he had inflicted was far deeper than any broken bone.
"Please just leave me alone" I whispered tossing the soiled paper towel into the industrial trash bag by my feet. "I have work to finish."
The quiet thud of his steps across the hard floor made my stomach clench. I could feel him approaching stopping just a few feet away. The butterflies I used to feel had been replaced entirely by cold paralyzing apprehension.
My hands trembled as I reached for the cleaner spraying the last remnants of the disgusting mess.
"I expected youd be down here early to clean" Rhoan said. The realization that he had thought of me that he had gotten up early specifically to seek me out was nauseating. He was talking to me while the sister he claimed as his mate was still upstairs in his bed.
I fought the urge to cry but the well of tears had run completely dry. There was nothing left to shed.
"We need to discuss what happened yesterday" he continued sounding annoyed that I kept my back to him scrubbing harder at the floor. "Look at me Elara."
I pulled off my yellow rubber gloves and rose to my feet. "Why should I? I wont believe a single word that comes out of your mouth. You lied to me for years Rhoan! Years!"
"What exactly did I lie about huh?"
"Everything!" I snapped spinning around to face him my voice tight with fury. "Why dont we start with I love you or I hate your sister shes such a malicious piece of work?"
I watched as his eyes swirled with the black of his wolf rising to the surface.
"Dont you dare say I didnt love you Elara! You know that I did! But that was before I found my soulmate. If you had only shifted you would have probably found yours by now too and none of this would have happened!" he yelled his voice echoing through the house undoubtedly waking the hungover wolves still sleeping off the party.
Was he genuinely placing the blame for his betrayal on my unshifted status?
"You cheated on me with my sister! But thats not even the worst of it! You pretended that my unshifted status didnt matter but you lied! You were using it as an escape hatch to end our relationship if you didnt find your mate last night!" I shouted back feeling the familiar fruitless tremor of anger run through my body. The deep desire for my wolf to finally emerge to give me strength vanished as usual.
"I came down here to smooth things over because you are my best friend! But Im glad you brought up Lyra because I need to address something with you. If you want to throw a pity party because we broke up fine but do not disrespect my mate again. The way you publicly treated your future Luna last night will necessitate a punishment."
I wanted to laugh at his absurd declaration of "best friend." I was his girlfriend not his friend. The sheer arrogance that he thought I would remain friends with him after he gutted my heart was astonishing. However the threat of punishment made me pause. Would they lock me in the dungeons or perhaps string me up to the whipping post outside?
In the end it was irrelevant. They could punish me as much as they pleased. I had survived everything they had thrown at me before. I was still standing maybe scarred but alive. I had already won.
"Is that your voice talking or Lyras?" I challenged him. I knew the truth. He would never have threatened me before my sister sank her claws into him. She would corrupt him her endless manipulations jealousy and hunger for power would be his complete undoing.
I turned to walk away but Rhoan shot forward his hand clamping tightly around my forearm. He spun me back toward him. "Dont turn your back on me when Im speaking to you."
My eyes darted between his and I no longer recognized the male before me. The intense darkness in his gaze sent a cold shiver down my spine like the brush of a blade.
"When I said I felt pity for you Rhoan" I whispered realizing I had absolutely nothing left to lose. I was already living in continuous pain and the worst they could do was kill me and grant me freedom from this cursed pack. "I meant it. She has already changed you. With her beside you whispering poison in your ear this pack is going to fall. And you will be the reason."
His grip instantly tightened on my arm. His nails extended sharp points piercing my skin. My bones groaned under the pressure and I knew if he didnt release me immediately my arm would snap.
"Ah!" I cried out collapsing at the knees from the excruciating pain.
Rhoans eyes widened instantly as his wolf receded and he dropped my arm in shock. "Elara I didnt mean to..."
His gaze suddenly glazed over as someone spoke to him through the pack link. I scrambled backward slowly cradling my bleeding arm to my chest and panting through the blinding agony. Fresh tears welled up and I stumbled as my foot caught the trash bag behind me narrowly avoiding another fall.
When his focus returned I could see the internal struggle in his eyes. Even he was horrified that he had physically lashed out at me.
"Theyre here" he whispered staring guiltily at my injured arm. "Elara..."
"You need to go" I cut him off. "It would be disrespectful for you not to be present to greet the King at the border." I quickly wiped my good hand over my cheeks to dry them seized the overflowing trash bag and headed for the back door to dispose of it.
It was now or never. As soon as the entire pack was distracted by the Lycans arrival I would make my dash for freedom. They could all rot for all I cared. Alpha Dalton had specifically told the pack that the Lycan King had traveled because he needed to ensure his territory remained strong meaning he was looking for weaknesses to exploit not just mates. That chilling truth made my need to escape paramount.
As I made my way through the dense trees behind the house and headed toward my home a chilling unease washed over me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a survival instinct screamed a powerful warning in my mind: I was about to become prey. I broke into a panicked run.
A terrifying deep growl not from a wolf but something much larger much older and much closer cut through the morning air right behind me. It was a sound that shook the very ground I ran on. Then a massive shadow darker than the trees itself moved with impossible speed parallel to me through the thicket. I knew immediately this wasnt a pack member trying to stop me. This was a hunt. This was the Lycan King himself callvinger