Chapter 27: 27: Justice

ARIEL

I hear Alex screaming my name, chasing after me, but I keep running.

I don’t know where I’m going.

I just know I need to leave before the monster inside me causes any more damage.

Lola has finally been exposed for who she really is, but I’m far from relieved. I can’t come to terms with the fact that I had to kill to do it.

The rage, the darkness, continues to consume me. I can’t control it.

My vision is still clouded in red, and my boots are covered in Zeke’s blood, making me feel uncertain.

Just as I’m about to reach the edge of the forest, I slip on a rock and hit the ground with a ~thud~.

When I manage to get my bearings, Alex is standing over me, completely out of breath.

“Are you okay?” he asks, giving me his hand to help me up.

But I reject it and push myself back to my feet.

My head is throbbing and I can’t bear to look at him.

For his own safety, I need to leave. But the thought of never seeing Alex again stops me from turning and running into the forest.

I can feel his hand on my arm. I want to melt into it.

“Ariel, wait… Can we talk?”

“There’s nothing left for me to say.”

“Well, then can ~I~ talk?”

“What do you want to say, Your Highness?” I growl.

I finally let my eyes linger on his for a moment, and I tremble as my vision grows even redder.

ALEX

I squeeze Ariel’s arm tighter and finally get a good look at her.

There are dark rings around her eyes, her skin is paler than usual, her brown hair is caked in dirt and blood, and her gaze is filled with disgust.

~Disgust at me.~

I don’t blame her. I did this to her. It’s all my fault.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurt out. “For not believing you. For hurting you. For tossing you aside. You deserve so much better. I took what I had with you for granted—”

“What you had with me?” she interrupts. “What did you have?”

I’m silent for a moment, unable to say what I know to be true.

Finally, I work up the courage. “I had my perfect mate.”

When I say those words, her eyes dart away from me again. “You had your perfect mate before you ever met me. You lost her.”

“For a while, yes,” I respond. “But I found you and... I knew you were right for me. In every way. I was just too scared to admit it.”

“You’re not ready to move on,” she says. “Your relationship with Lola proved that much. Even when I tried to show you the truth, you called me a liar, Alex! You banished me!”

“I was wrong,” I shout, ashamed of everything I did to fuck things up. “I’m so sorry.”

“You said I was crazy.”

“I was stupid—”

“And you were right,” she says. “There’s something very wrong with me. And I can’t control it.”

“That’s not true,” I reach for her face but she moves away. “Maybe your wolf—”

“It’s not my wolf!” Ariel’s voice rises. “It’s something else. And when it takes control, people die. It’s what killed Zeke. I can’t trust myself.”

“Well, I trust you. Like I should have all along.”

My words don’t bring her any comfort. She’s quivering. She looks as if she could unravel any second.

ARIEL

~It’s happening again.~

My claws are threatening to come out.

Alex tries to grab me but I pull away.

“Please,” he says, his green eyes glowing with passion. “Please don’t go.”

His shoulders rise and fall as he tries to slow his breathing, and I can’t help but remember the way his toned chest and abs looked without his shirt.

~Stop it, Ariel. Run.~

I try to tame my thoughts, but my body won’t listen. My feet won’t move.

His lips are mere inches from mine, and I can feel the warmth of his breath on my skin.

“This is your home, Ariel. This is your pack.”

“I don’t have a pack.” I look down. I can’t look into his eyes without betraying my feelings.

“Then stay for me?” He pulls me to him, his arms encircling my waist.

“You’re not ready to be with me, Alex. And I can’t... I can’t be with you.”

“Is there any part of you that still feels anything for me?” he asks.

“It’s not about how I feel,” I say.

“It should be.”

“Alex…”

He leans down and kisses me, his lips firm but gentle. I can’t help but return the kiss, slowly opening my mouth to allow in his tongue.

My hands travel up to his firm chest, trailing blood up and down his crisp white shirt.

I kiss him harder, desperately, and he holds me tighter, pulling me into him until our bodies are flush against one another.

I feel his growing member beneath his jeans and my body responds, sending waves of arousal between my legs. But my pleasure is short-lived as images of killing Zeke penetrate my thoughts, and again I feel my claws trying to rip through the tips of my fingers.

“Alex,” I repeat. “Alex, stop!” I push him away from me. He looks disappointed. Hurt.

“Tell me what I can do for you, Ariel. Anything. I’ll do it.”

“Let me go,” I say as tears make their way down my cheeks.

“Anything but that.” His eyes look pained. “I made that mistake already.”

“You have to.” I take a step back. “I’m sorry.”

With that, I turn and run into the forest.

I fight the urge to look back for as long as I can, but right before I disappear from sight, I glance over my shoulder to see Alex watching me sadly as I leave him behind.

My wolf whimpers and a pang of regret hits me suddenly. But I can’t let my emotions dictate my actions. I force myself to move forward.

Stifling my own sobs, I run deeper into the woods. I don’t know how long I run, trees blurring past me in flashes of green.

I run until my heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest, finally stopping at a clearing. There, I collapse to the ground and let sorrow consume me. My wolf paces fervently, begging to be let out.

I try to push her back, but I suddenly feel my bones contorting and the familiar warmth running up my spine as my wolf’s white fur sprouts from my skin.

Once again, I’m not in control. I begin to panic, trying to push the shift away, but it’s no use. I rip through my clothes and my wolf fully emerges.

I try to take back control, to shift back to my human form, but I can’t.

My wolf runs farther into the forest. She’s devastated at yet another lost potential mate, and I can’t get through to her.

I run on all fours, and my human consciousness sinks deeper and deeper into the back of my wolf’s mind.

I feel like I’m screaming to be released, trying once again to shift back.

I’m completely stuck in wolf form.

And there’s no turning back.

ALEX

I stand in front of my council in the palace courtroom. Lola’s treason trial will begin shortly.

Yesterday was our mockery of a mating ceremony. Today I will decide her fate.

~If I had only trusted Ariel.~

I wishfully scan the crowd looking for those sunflower eyes, but they’re nowhere to be found. Steve and Louisa sit near the back. I was holding out hope that she might have returned in the night. But if she were here, she would likely be with them.

I look at Dom and he gives me a nod to indicate that we’re ready to begin.

“Guards,” I call. “Bring in the prisoner.”

The doors of the courthouse open and Lola is escorted in. Her ~brown~ eyes glower at me from behind a remorseless gaze.

The guards stop Lola five feet from me. She looks at me with a near smirk on her face.

“This rogue stands convicted of bringing other rogues onto Royal Pack territory,” I begin, “conspiring to murder Royal Pack members, attempted murder of Royal Pack members, impersonating a royal, and committing treason against the crown and the werewolf race.

“The penalty for these acts is death. Are there any objections?” I look out into the crowd and spot Helena in the front row, holding her belly. She awoke from her coma just this morning and told Dom all that she’d found out about Lola.

Everything Ariel had said over the last several weeks was true. Helena overheard Lola talking of her plans to Zeke on the phone, and Lola had had the rogues attempt to silence her.

If it wasn’t for Ariel’s healing powers, Helena and the baby would be dead.

“No objections from the pack,” I say, staring Lola down. “Rogue, do you have any final words before your sentence is carried out?”

A menacing smile crosses her face and she lets out a laugh. “You were all too easy to manipulate, Alex. All it took were some purple contacts and sweet words. With the help of your stupid mother, I was in without a hitch.”

“You nearly killed my mate and child,” Dom says coldly.

“I didn’t touch a hair on that bitch’s precious head,” Lola snaps at Dom. “If you want to place blame, look to your alpha.”

Lola turns to me. “You chose the word of a complete stranger over one of your most trusted friends and warriors,” Lola continues. “And you call ~me~ a traitor?”

My heart clenches at the thought of everything Ariel went through simply trying to keep the pack safe.

To keep me safe. When Lola sees the pain in my eyes, she begins to laugh. I can’t stand to look at her anymore.

“Just one more thing,” I say, and walk over to her. I unclasp the moonstone necklace from around her neck and slip it into my pocket.

I give Dom the go-ahead and he forces her to her knees.

Even with death looming, Lola continues to laugh maniacally.

Dom quickly snaps Lola’s neck and she falls silent, slumping to the floor. Dave has her body removed immediately. A somber hush falls over the room.

As people stand and file out, my mind is still fixed only on Ariel.

***

After the trial, I wander alone down to the riverbank on the edge of the pack grounds.

I call out Ariel’s name a few times, hoping that she might still be nearby. Hoping that she might hear my cries and come running to me. But I get no response.

So I sit down on a boulder and whisper another name: “Olivia.”

I pull her necklace out of my pocket, and as I stare at it, my eyes fill up with tears.

“Olivia,” I say again. “I’m sorry that you’re not here with me. I’m sorry that we don’t get to spend our lives together. And I’m really, really sorry that I have to let you go.”

I press my lips to the cold stone and kiss it gently. “I’ll always love you. Always. But it’s time for me to move on.”

With that, I let the chain slip through my fingers, and hear a gentle splash as the necklace falls into the river and out of sight.