Chapter 25

“Get back in the house and hide,” Rowan shouted, grabbing Sylvie’s shoulders to steady her on her feet.

The immediate desire to shout a resounding ‘no’ bubbled in her throat, but an incoming mass froze the words on her tongue.

Then, noticing her widening eyes, Rowan spun, his clawed fist capturing the neck of the red-eyed Vampire and squeezing until blood spurted from its orifices.

Sylvie used the distraction to slink away towards the softer cries and screams, letting the nature around her as a guide with their golden trails of energy. Rowan’s furious roar spurred her onwards, and she broke out into a run in the direction of the lake.

A dying fire illuminated the heinous scene as the trail opened into the clearing. Two shifters writhed and struggled in giant glittering nets reminiscent of chainmail or spiderwebs coated in morning dew.

Vampires flitted about the space; the only telltale sign of their species was the bright crimson glow of their eyes and the strange leathery, tactical clothing they wore.

“Hurry up, Jerico. Take the fucking panther-”

“It bit me! Fuck man, I’m gonna die-”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Sylvie ducked behind the trees along the path, creeping closer to the two Vampires when a twig snapped underfoot. Their heads whipped towards her, their ruby eyes blinking in the darkness.

“I see you, little mouse.”

Just slow enough for her eyes to pick up the Vampire cradling his hand, Jerico darted towards her, his hand clamping on her bicep.

“This one has pretty eyes. What kind of shifter are you?”

She shrunk back, widening her eyes as if frightened and shook her head as he dragged her over to the netted shifters. From a glance, she saw Natalie’s eyes staring back at her from panther form and another shifter wolf she didn’t recognise.

“Answer me, bitch.”

He shook her roughly again, and she whimpered lightly, closing her eyes to search for the forest roots beneath their feet. She hadn’t tried this before, but whatever happened, it would be a good distraction.

“Huh, pathetic.”

Just as he went to pull her towards Natalie’s confinement, sharp roots breached the dry soil and shot straight up, staking Jerico through his chest.

Everyone froze in amazement; even Jericos bulging eyes seemed stupified as he released his grip on Sylvie and dropped to his knees, blood gurgling from his mouth.

A flurry of emotions flooded Sylvie’s senses, her skin drained of colour as she processed what she had done.

What had she done?

Only when he tilted to the side, dead, did the other Vampire move. His twitching face lifted to stare at Sylvie with unveiled hatred. “What did you do?”

Using her hand to guide the growing tree roots, she slowly directed them at the Vampire, most of her energy already gone. Her night vision flickered in the darkness, the sight in front of her switching between fire-tinted sepia to rays of golden light.

The Vampire swallowed as she waggled her trembling finger from side to side. Her dangerous facade was slipping quickly, and her throat tightened.

“Don’t try it,” she rasped, sidestepping to the nets that captured her friends. “I won’t hesitate to stake you too.”

She kicked the metal chains nudging them over Natalie’s paws and head while focusing on the red-eyed deviant in front of her.

“You just killed a pureblood.”

The words went over Sylvie’s head as she staggered back and freed the second shifter.

“He has a wife.”

“He was a dead man, anyway,” Sylvie hissed, fighting the burning tears of guilt. She kept her gaze level, her vision never lingering on the slumped mass still leaking lifeblood across the ground; instead, she stepped past him, keeping her plant root weapons aimed straight for the Vampires’ chest.

“Why are you taking shifters?”

His expression darkened, eyes narrowing as he backed towards the lake. Natalie and the wolf shifter flanked her growling softly in support but weakened from their earlier scuffles.

“Fuck you.”

“Why are you taking them? And how are you getting through to this realm?”

“We- I don’t answer to you.”

Sylvie stomped closer, the Vampire jumping back quickly, eyes searching the forest. Sylvie noticed how the space around them had quieted and could only pray that meant the fighting was over and the shifters were safe.

“My mates will get here soon, and they will offer you a very painful death, but if you tell me what I need to know, I could help you. I could talk to them to be lenient.”

The wolf shifter at her side whined, and Sylvie could only guess it was questioning her sanity as she lowered her plant stake and dropped her hands to her sides.

“Just tell me why you’re taking the shifters. Please.”

The shifting of the Vampire’s eyes and the uneasy slinking of the creatures at Sylvie’s side raised the hairs on her arms. The forest at their side wasn’t just quiet. It was silent.

Before the Vampire could utter another word, a shadow leapt from the tree line engulfing it in its jaws with a terrible cut-off shriek and squelch.

The beast turned, blood and viscera dripping from its jaws, its familiar hazel-green eyes honing in on Sylvie’s swaying form, then the dead vamp at her feet. His body twitched and seized as if a creature burrowed beneath the sleek coat, and in a way, it did.

Sylvie clutched her stomach as Rowan, only dressed in blood and death, stood to full height, growling something at Natalie and the small wolf. They scampered away, whining.

As Rowan approached, the clench to his jaw was visible even in the dying firelight. She was in trouble.

He peered over her shoulder briefly and growled deep in his chest—a warning. The soothing emotions that glided down her back proved it was Kian he was shooing away.

“Why did you kill him?” Sylvie’s teeth chattered. “We could have gotten some answers.”

“Why didn’t you hide in the house like I told you?” Rowan yelled, forcing her to flinch away, her whole body shaking now from the cold, the shock, the frustration.

“I helped. Isn’t that what you and the others wanted from me anyway? I did what I thought was right...”

Her gaze dropped to the dead vampires, eyes bulging, staring into nothingness. She killed someone.

Again.

“What was right,” Rowan echoed incredulously. “You could have been hurt. Or taken. You could have been killed!”

Why was he only seeing the danger? Why couldn’t he be proud of her for protecting her friend— his pack? She did it for him—

No.

For them.

Her tear-filled eyes blinked, the drops sploshing into the dirt and blood before turning back to her furious mate.

She was a murderer.

Why would he be proud of that?

Turning to walk away, a hard grip circled her bicep and spun her back to his hot, slick chest. “Don’t walk away from me.”

“Let go of me.”

“No.” He shook her, latching his free hand under her chin, smearing blood across her face. She whimpered as its acrid scent filled her nostrils.

“Let me go.”

The air of the night suddenly felt so cold. The gentle breeze closer to an ice storm singed the hair on her arms and dried her eyes until they stung.

Rowan growled deep in his chest, pulling her into him when a voice called out from the path. “Alpha! The wolves scented a Vampire beyond the borders. Different from the attackers-”

Rowan’s grip loosened a fraction, his jaw ticking as the voice grew louder, the shifter approaching cautiously with even steps.

“And they’re coming this way.”

Sylvie gasped as realisation dawned on her. Elias?

“Find him,” Rowan said, releasing his grip on her chin and stepping back. The absence of his touch only froze her further, her teeth rattling so hard she feared they’d crack. She stepped towards him in desperate need of something, anything to hold her up, as her legs turned to jelly.

His brows drew together, and he lifted his hands as if to catch her before he flew backwards in the air, and a cool embrace clutched her instead.

As Rowan’s body splashed in the lake’s depth, Sylvie blinked at Elias’s perfect face, his red eyes reminding her of what she had done.

“Kitten-” he rasped, lifting her shivering body into his arms. “You’re freezing.”

“Elias?”

Rowan stormed from the water, shouting something unintelligible, closing the gap between them.

Elias turned to him, baring his fangs. “What did you do to her?”

“She did this to herself,” he snapped back, shaking with rage, his eyes lingering on Sylvie’s pale face.

Elias ignored him. “Where’s Kian.”

“Packhouse,” Rowan grumbled.

Sylvie blinked. “Elias?”

“News?”

“Perhaps.”

Their one word conversation became the only noise in Sylvie’s mind as the shivering slowed and her breathing along with it.

“Care to share?”

“I am not certain yet if it is worth sharing.”

Sylvie swayed, tracing her fingers along Elias’ arm to his chiselled jaw. The sharp zap down her fingertips set her mind alight with clarity. He was real. It was all real.

“Elias,” she breathed, leaning into his neck and inhaling him. Why wasn’t he acknowledging her?

“What did you discover?” Rowan asked lowly.

“That I need to go back.”

That sent alarm bells in Sylvie’s mind, her hold on him tightening enough to steal his attention finally. His brow rose as she shook her head dizzyingly.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No-”

“Yes. And if you don’t take me, then I’ll... I’ll... Well, I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” Rowan interrupted with a smirk which Sylvie quickly shut down with a stern scowl.

“Well, I don’t know yet, but you won’t like it. Either of you.” The threat was only mildly empty, and when Elias sighed in resignation, she relaxed, knowing she’d never have to come up with their punishment.

Her body swayed against his as he walked away from the lake towards the packhouse. Rowan kept his gaze glued to hers as he followed behind his footsteps, not making a sound. Her eyes grew heavy, and she let her chin rest on Elias’s shoulder, still captivated by Rowan’s narrowing stare.

“When do we go?” Rowan asked, never breaking eye contact with her. Her heart thudded harder, her breath turning shallow as she waited for Elias’s answer.

She, too, would need to prepare for the potential portal sickness. Kerensa made it sound pretty dangerous when she had taken him in the first place.

At least if they left, she could skip the stupid pain and fury she’d experienced because of Rowan and the matebond.

“We leave after the next full moon.”

Shit.