The Lycan Princess and the Temptation of Sin by Moonlight Muse Chapter 84. Her Name ROYCE.
Twenty minutes later, Iâm waiting on the bridge where I had asked Quade to meet me. Iâve pulled my hood up. Although I chose a location that is far from the pack, I still need to be careful.
The occasional car driving past or the sound of sirens in the distance fills the air, but thereâs a clear lack of life around.
I glance at the sky, itâs going to rain again, the clouds mask the moon.
Itâs a full moon tonight⦠I love it when itâs a full moon, shame itâs hidden behind the clouds.
The ground is already wet from the sudden downpour that had occured on my way here. Typical British weather.
The sound of footsteps makes me look up and I know from his smell itâs the Beta.
It is him. His hair is almost fully grey, his brown eyes full of concern as he approaches, his hands tucked into the pockets of his chesterfield coat.
âGood evening Alpha Royce, is everything alright? I wonât deny I have been worried when you wanted to meet here.â Quade says.
âGood evening Beta.â I respond, getting the formalities out of the way. âEverything is alright. I just wanted to talk to you away from the pack to make sure we arenât overheard. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I wonât keep you long and weâll cut to the chase.â I reply, smiling faintly.
He nods, âIâd appreciate that.â He says.
I stand straight from where I was leaning over the bridge, to now face the older man.
âItâs regarding something Father told you to do years ago, something that your conscience refused to let you, and I assure you, Iâm grateful that you did not obey.â I say quietly.
His heart skips a beat and thereâs a twitch in his jaw, but aside from that, he remains pretty much impassive.
âI donât think Iâm following Royce.â He says seriously.
I raise an eyebrow. âThen allow me to lay it out for you. Iâm talking about my sister, Quade, the very sister that mom somehow thinks passed away and the very same sister that you left at an orphanage.
Does that ring a bell perhaps?â I reply, my voice sharp.
His heart thuds and we both know he can no longer deny or pretend to play dumb. He knows exactly what Iâm talking about.
His eyes snap to mine but Iâm dead serious. Iâm not here to play. This topic is not easy for me either, knowing that while we were raised with money and luxury aside from the severe training anyway, she was thrown in an orphanage somewhere.
âHow do you know that?â He asks, looking around. This time thereâs fear in his eyes.
âThatâs not important, and you did the right thing. I know you fear Father, but I assure you, I will make sure that no harm comes to you. I need to know where she is, a name, or the name of the orphanage. I need to know everything you can tell me.â
âRoyce⦠Please, I know you want to find her or locate her, but sheâs no longer there. Sheâs⦠joined another pack, apparently despite it being a human orphanage where I left her. It has ties to some alpha who has taken her, but I have been unable to learn anything further.â He says, sounding desperate.
âPlease let it go. Iâm certain sheâs happy wherever she is. If your father learns of her, he may want to silence her. You donât know him, Royce.â Thereâs an urgency in his voice.
âI know exactly who my father is, Quade, but who knows⦠I wonder what kind of life she had. I still want the name of the orphanage and the name you gave her when you left her.â I say, my eyes trained on him. This time I let some of my aura out, knowing he canât deny a direct Alpha command.
I may not be his Alpha but Iâm still powerful, and my command will work⦠instantly, he lowers his head in submission but the words that leave him hit me hard.
âWinona Walters⦠thatâs the name I gave her. As for the orphanageâ¦â
Iâm no longer able to listen, my heart thudding as that name rings in my mind. Everything else drowned out.
âHi, Winona⦠Damn girl you look fine⦠Luna Winona, nice to meet you⦠Nice to meet you too, Alpha Royceâ¦â
The memories from when Skyla was hospitalised replay in my mind, getting louder and louder.
She had looked familiar⦠she was of Solaris blood⦠the sense of familiarity when I had touched her hand⦠the familiarity I had sensed when I had seen herâ¦
I place a fist to my mouth as I try to process it. Winona⦠Marcel Rossiâs second chance mateâ¦
Oh, bloody hellâ¦
Iâve already met my sister and failed to recognise herâ¦
âWinona⦠I know where she is.â I say, looking up at Quade, who stops talking.
His eyes widen in shock before he pales. âY-you do?â
âSheâs mated to-â I stop when I suddenly sense a powerful surge of darkness, mixed with a faint familiar presence, one that almost drowned into the other oneâ¦
It fades, and I realise itâs somehow masked, but itâs here.
I turn sharply, scanning the area around us.
Both auras that now feel as if they are one, are familiar. The darkness reminds me of the same energy that the serpent that I had killed held and I instantly motion Quade to be on alert.
âWhat is it?â He asks sharply, removing his hands from his pocket, readying himself.
Before I can reply, I hear the sound of a gun being cocked.
âDuck!â I shout, raising a shield as the first round goes off, and a bullet does, in fact, slam into my barrier.
What on earthâ¦
âWhat are you doing?!â I shout, unable to process what exactly is going on.
Suddenly, his presence disappears, but I remain on edge. Whatever is going on isnât right.
I spin around, sensing him behind me. My heart thumps as I stare at nothing, and then, before my very eyes, I see him begin to materialiseâ¦
Just like⦠the serpent.
âYouâre not the only one whoâs special.â He hisses, sounding more snake-like than ever. His pupils arenât the same either, now holding the serpentine-like slit of a reptileâ¦
âWhat is going on!?â Quade asks sharply, despite his calmness I know heâs confused.
âWhat are you doing?â I ask the man before me, not letting any of my emotions show.
He simply smiles, a smile full of pure hatred and contempt. This close, I can feel the darkness and it is the very same as the one that surrounded the serpent I killed. It now envelops him and my eyes flash as I ready myself.
The light rain that had begun to fall now begins hammering down faster, but itâs not my doing. But when the first flash of lightning fills the sky, it definitely belongs to me.
âNot this time.â He chuckles, as smoke suddenly fills the area, blinding me. I cough slightly, backing up.
Time seems to slow as I summon the wind to blast the smoke away, but in that split second, I hear the gun go off, and this time it hits something.
âNo!â I shout, as the smell of blood fills the air and a thud tells me someone has fallen. âQuade!â
I follow my nose, my heart thundering as I realise his heart has stopped beating already just as I stumble over the fallen Betaâs body.
âBastard!â I snarl, my anger raging within me.
How could he kill him?
The smoke clears and I drop to the ground beside Quadeâs lifeless body that lies on the floor, his mouth still open in shock, blood pouring from his chest.
I can see the bullet lodged in his chest, a bullet that killed him instantly.
What the hell is this?
He laughs manically. âThese bullets are an impressive thing, donât you agree? You know thereâs only a few left out there⦠a certain man who goes by Schurke Wolf made them⦠Ah, itâs just a shame that he discontinued them⦠one shot and youâre dead. Shifter or not.â
âYouâre fucking sick! How could you kill someone who trained you as a child!â I snarl, standing up.
What will I tell his family? I turn to face the bastard, only for him to disappear again.
How is he doing that?
Something is seriously wrong.
I turn, lightning crackling in my hands when I hear him laugh.
âThe thing is⦠I now have the upper hand⦠if you canât see me⦠you canât hurt me.â The last word he speaks is right close to my ear, and I spin around, sending a blast of lightning behind me, but heâs gone again.
âFight me like a man, not like a coward!â I snarl, trying to pick on a scent or anything.
âIâm no man.â He replies, and I sense him behind me again.
I spin around as lightning flashes in the sky and right down, but Iâm too late. I hear the gun go off, but itâs not one bullet he shoots, instead, he keeps shooting until the cartridge is empty.
Each one pierces my chest⦠white-hot pain erupts through me and thereâs a shrill ringing in my head as I fall to my knees.
I canât breathe⦠I canâtâ¦
I fall sideways onto the wet ground.
âThatâs it⦠bow down to me⦠you belong at my feet. I am better than you in every fucking way!â He hisses, grabbing me by my hair roughly and yanking me up, but I canât feel it, the pain ij my chest is tenfold.
He forces me to look up at him. A man I do not recogniseâ¦
Thereâs only hatred and satisfaction in his eyes. His happiness at my state has him incredibly ecstatic.
This time⦠he really has got the upper handâ¦
I try to speak but I canâtâ¦
âIâm shocked youâre not dead yet, but give it a few more seconds.â He chuckles as he throws me to the ground.
He kicks me in the face, making my head snap back and i hear something break as another wave of pain adds to what iâm feeling already.
But no matter how badly I try, I canât fight him, my body is no longer cooperatingâ¦
He backs away, a sadistic smile on his face as he watches me lying there helpless⦠powerlessâ¦
Skyâ¦
I hope she canât feel my pain⦠Iâm not sure if she can⦠do we both need to have marked one another?
Iâm⦠Iâm not sureâ¦
My vision becomes blurry as my heart struggles to continue to beat⦠whatever those bullets areâ¦
Theyâre⦠theyâre stopping me from healingâ¦
You must liveâ¦
I tell myself, but itâs futile.
I try to summon lightning, trying to jolt my heart that is coming to a stop, back into action⦠butâ¦
I canâtâ¦
My body isnât working.
I stare at the ground, my blond hair falling in front of my eyes, but even with my view half covered, it doesnât hide the large pool of blood that is spreading around me, even the pouring rain is unable to wash it awayâ¦
Is this it?
So much for doing what I need toâ¦
Take care, Love⦠Iâm sorry I couldnât fulfil all those promises I madeâ¦
My eyes are forced shut as I feel my life force beginning to ebb awayâ¦
END OF PART 1 A/N: Now letâs keep social media spoiler free so everyone can come read and suffer this cliffhanger with all who have just read it! Muhahaha!
Book 2 will continue right here ð