by G. K. DeRosa
“You did well.” Hunter’s voice drew me from my musings as he escorted me through the tunnels beneath the arena.
“My head just hasn’t been in it,” I mumbled.
“No one could blame you for that.”
We’d discussed his father’s surprise appearance and my questions on what we would do if we were the final two competitors. Hunter hadn’t exactly given me a definitive answer on how he planned for me to win and him to walk out of the arena alive and unbanished. He’d promised to go into more detail after the event, but now, devoid of all energy, I wasn’t sure I could get into it with him again. He promised he had a plan and for now, I’d chosen to trust him.
But there was another bone to pick that could not wait.
I stopped and pulled him into a small recess in the earthen corridor. Shoving him against the wall, I longed for the days he would’ve made some sexually charged comment about jumping him in the middle of the hallway. But that was the old Hunter, the one who actually lusted for me. I tossed the pointless thoughts aside and focused on my current point of frustration.
“I saw Braxton this morning.”
He slumped against the wall and released a long breath.
“You can imagine my annoyance when he told me that you’d practically given me to him should things go wrong.”
“Sierra…”
I clapped my hand over his mouth. “No, I’m not done. Do you really think I’d let you walk out of my life just because of this? Do you really think I could pretend you didn’t exist and go live happily ever after with Braxton?” I growled.
“No, I don’t because I know how stubborn you are.”
“Me?” I shrieked. “I think I’m going to go insane, Hunter. We keep having the same conversation over and over again. When will you let me make my own decisions about us?”
“Maybe when you stop making the wrong ones,” he muttered, the usual fire missing from his tone. “Braxton is the logical choice—more so now than ever.”
Fury roiled through my bones, and I gritted my teeth to keep the string of curses from bursting out. “You’re only being logical because your emotions are turned off!” I closed the space between us and standing on my tiptoes, got right in his face. “So you’re fine with me being with Braxton? Mated to him? His hands all over my body…”
“Enough,” he grated. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“It’s only been two days. We don’t know for certain that your feelings won’t return, and you’re already willing to give up?”
He nodded slowly. “It’s not just my feelings for you, Sierra. I feel NOTHING. My wolf is gone or in hiding… I’m not sure. I should be angry, frustrated, pissed off, but instead I’m empty, numb. I’ve never been so lost. And I won’t drag you down with me.”
Shaking my head, I glared up at the insufferable idiot. “Why now? Last night you promised, you said you wouldn’t give up on us.” I searched his eyes, but the cold emerald was completely devoid of emotion, of any response. “Is it because of your father?”
“Of course, it is,” he gritted out. “He’s never going to stop, Sierra. You’ll always be in danger because of him. You need a pack, and the only way you’ll have it is with Braxton.”
“That’s not true,” I cried. “I can have it with you. We’ll have our own Mystic/Drago hybrid pack.”
He shook his head, his emptiness echoing through our mate link.
I dug my finger into his chest. “We’ve completed the bond, Hunter. You can’t just leave me. You know what it’ll do to me, to both of us.”
“We haven’t been mated long and if I leave Moon Valley, it’ll make the transition easier. I’m sorry, Sierra, but my mind is made up. Once the trials are over, I’m leaving.”
My heart splintered, a jagged crack racing across the middle. I folded over as my chest caved in, the pain expelling all the air from my lungs.
Hunter reached for me, but I shoved him away. “No, you can’t have it both ways!” I shouted. “If you really want this to be over, then we’re done today. Not tomorrow, not in a few days when the trials are finished.”
His eyes dipped to the floor, and he didn’t utter a word.
“So that’s it?”
His silence tore at the fissure in my heart, splitting it in two. I spun toward the exit and raced down the corridor as a tremor wracked my shoulders. I chomped down on my lower lip to keep from sobbing. I wouldn’t cry in the arena for all to see. I’d wait until I got home because I was certain once I released the floodgates, there would be no survivors.
Two quick knocks at my door pried my swollen eyes open. I rolled over, and the day’s events sped through my mind, cleaving my heart in two. “Go away,” I growled.
“I can’t.” Braxton’s voice seeped through the door of my room. “Hunter forced me to come here and check on you. I physically can’t leave until you let me in, and I report back.”
Overbearing, controlling, alpha-hole… I grumbled through the bond, hoping he’d catch every single insult I flung at him. Pushing myself off the bed, I stomped to the door and swung it open. Braxton stared down at me, eyes wide.
“There, now you’ve seen me. Go report back to the supreme dick and leave me alone.”
A grin threatened to explode across Braxton’s face, but to his defense he managed to suppress it. “You okay?” he finally asked.
“Do I look okay?” I dragged my hand through my tangled locks. My eyes felt puffy, and I was sure I had a trail of mascara dripping down my cheeks from all the crying.
“You look as beautiful as always.”
I snorted on a laugh and spun back toward my bed. “See you later, Brax.” I belly-flopped onto my bed and nearly hit the adjacent cot. Thank the gods Vander had helped me move Connor to the couch now that he was feeling better. The last thing I needed was my newest packmate to see my total meltdown.
“I can’t leave yet.”
I pivoted toward the doorway to find Brax still lingering at the threshold. His eyes glazed over and I cursed Hunter, wondering what he was instructing my pack member to do. When his eyes refocused on me, his lips arched into a grimace.
“What does he want now?” I bit out.
“He wants me to stay with you until the morning. Vander will be here first thing to escort you to the trials. He’s worried you’ll do something stupid.”
“Like murder him?” I hissed.
Braxton shrugged and crept closer. When I didn’t bite his head off, which I had considered by the way, he folded onto the edge of the bed. “Hunter’s just trying to do the right thing, ya know.”
“Well, he’s wrong and stupid, and I hate him.” Mature, I know.
“I think he’s trying to force us together.”
“Ya think?” I wrapped my arms across my torso, trying to keep my insides from falling apart.
“Give him a break, Sierra.” Warm, hopeful eyes met mine, and it was like a sucker punch to the gut.
I was so obsessed with my own pain that I hadn’t even considered Braxton in all of this. Hunter’s stupid, selfless gesture had given my ex-fiancé hope. Hope in something I could never give him.
I reached for his hand and squeezed it between mine. “Braxton, you are a great guy, and anyone would be lucky to have you as their mate. My feelings in this situation have nothing to do with you and everything to do with Hunter. He’s my mate, the other half of my soul. Even if he did leave, I’d never be free to give you that part of me. Do you understand?”
His head dipped, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Maybe in time, you could learn to love me, for the sake of our pack.”
Invisible bands stretched across my lungs, constricting my ribcage. I couldn’t. I knew I’d never love anyone except Hunter. But still my mouth formed the words, “Maybe.”
That flicker of hope lit up the pack link coursing between us, after days of nothing but pain, it felt good. He inched closer, his eyes glued to my lips.
I released his hand and moved it up t
o his chest, stopping him. “Braxton…”
“Right, sorry.” He sat back, but a silly grin flitted across his mouth. “This is for the best. You’ll see, Sierra. We were meant to be together to save the Mystics.”
I nodded numbly.
Chapter Twenty
Yawning and bleary-eyed, I opened the door the next morning to a sullen Vander. Hunter’s SIA bestie looked almost as bad as I felt as I let him into the apartment. He trudged inside, glanced at Connor on the couch, then finally met my gaze.
“Please tell me you’re trying to talk some sense into your stubborn friend.” I skewered him with a scowl.
He huffed out a breath. “You know how he can get. At least before I could get something from him, anger, annoyance, pain. It was easier to appeal to his emotions to get him to see what an asshole he was being, but now—” His words fell off, and he raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Sierra.”
I sucked in my lower lip to keep it from trembling. I couldn’t cry anymore. Even with Braxton asleep on the floor beside me, I’d sobbed all night. I was done. “Can you do me a favor?”
His head bobbed up and down. “Can you try to get a hold of this Garrix guy? I need to figure out how to get Hunter’s emotions back ASAP.”
“Sure. I’ll talk to Azara as soon as I drop you off at the arena.” He squeezed my shoulder and gave me a sad smile. “You ready to go?”
Ha! “Sure… Off to be transported to some undisclosed location with some blood-thirsty high alpha wannabes and an emotionless mate who’s now rejected me not once but twice? Can’t wait.”
His fingers tightened around my arm. “You guys will get through this, just like you have everything else. Don’t let him push you away. He’s spent the majority of his life without knowing real love, and to be honest, despite everything, I think the idea of it terrifies him.”
The hollow void that remained between us intensified as I processed Vander’s words. Hunter’s mom had died when he was so young, and he’d been raised by a monster. The curse had prevented him from ever falling in love and now all his emotions had been erased. No one had ever fought for him, for his love.
Vander’s eyes met mine, and sadness snaked through the pack link. “Don’t give up on him, Sierra.”
I nodded, blinking back unshed tears.
Weaving his arm through mine, he turned us toward the door and ushered me into the dark passageway. His words swirled through my mind the whole way to the arena.
The roar of the audience drowned out the jumble of thoughts racing through my mind, the mad pounding of my heart and the vicious wings battering my insides. I swallowed hard and steeled my nerves as the trial commissioner stood before us with the supreme alpha at his side. Ransom stood beside me with Hunter lingering a few feet behind. Aquor and Araton rounded out the final five.
“Does everyone understand the rules?” the male in white asked.
We all nodded, but the rules hadn’t exactly been very detailed, much like the event he’d described. The only thing I understood was that after weeks of trials, it had finally come down to this. Only two of us would return to battle it out in the final event.
Tyrien stepped forward and the audience went quiet, an eerie silence claiming the arena. “Today marks a very important juncture in the Alpha Trials. You’ve all fought bravely to reach this point in the competition. Only two of you will move forward from this trying expedition, which is why I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you all now. I look forward to welcoming the remaining two upon your return.” His cold gaze lanced over me before moving to his son.
If he had any say in it, I’d never leave the wastelands we’d be dumped in. Grinding my teeth, I shot the alpha ass a narrowed glare. He was the root of all our pain and suffering. If I couldn’t convince Hunter we belonged together, I’d devote all my energy into putting an end to the supreme alpha myself.
A deep growl rocked my insides, and a tingle of raw power surged through my veins. I could feel my eyes glowing as they raked over Tyrien. He finally lowered his gaze, and my wolf yipped in triumph.
Tyrien’s reign of terror was coming to an end.
A brilliant azure light spilled across the arena, turning my gaze to the whirling winds of the portal in the center of the space. My eyes focused on the warlock at the mystical doorway. Holy shift! It was Aras. The Royal’s pet warlock who’d been in a coma all these weeks. He’d been there when my mother was killed, and I’d bitten him in the fray. When did he wake up, and why was he here?
My eyes darted to Hunter’s, unbidden. His brows were furrowed as his gaze settled on the previously comatose warlock. He’d been the key to confirming Tyrien’s involvement in my mother’s death, but with the supreme alpha’s confession, his value had diminished. Somewhat. We could still use him as a witness to prove the alpha’s connection and bring forth official claims to the council.
“What’s Aras doing here?” Ransom’s voice cut off my internal musings.
“Father must be certain he’s of no further value to us,” Hunter answered, poking his head between us.
“But he can stand against Tyrien and attest to what he did to my mother.”
“Unless he thinks none of us will be alive long enough for that to happen.” A rueful smile crossed Ransom’s handsome face. “Why else would he allow him to show up today?”
“To torture us.” I eyed the warlock. For being in a coma for the past few weeks he looked pretty good. “Because there’s nothing we can do until we get back from whatever hell hole that portal will dump us in.”
“Let’s do it then.” Hunter pivoted toward the whipping vortex. “The quicker we get this over with, the better.”
As we marched toward the resurrected warlock, a familiar presence filled my mind. No matter what’s going on between us, I will always protect you. Do you understand me? Hunter’s voice tore up my insides.
I couldn’t even summon a mental response. Instead, I reached for Ransom’s hand and curled my fingers around his palm. He led me to the magical doorway, the winds thrashing our hair as we neared.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Hunter whispering something to Aras, but the roar of the winds made it impossible to make out.
“Everyone ready?” the commissioner shouted. “Remember, the first two to return to the arena, win. You must reach Moon Valley without the use of portals or assistance from anyone outside of the competition. You will encounter a series of trials along the way, and keep in mind, we will be watching you. May the two strongest alphas return in triumph.”
Araton and Aquor stood at the far side of the portal, the angel-wolf’s wings spread over his broad shoulders and the wolf-fish with pointy trident in hand. The pair growled a yes, and the rest of us followed their lead.
The white-uniformed male motioned to the portal. “Good luck.”
Hunter’s eyes drifted to mine, and for a second, I could’ve sworn a flash of gold streaked through the deep emerald. But maybe I was hallucinating. My heart clenched, but I forced the pain to the darkest corners of my being. I’d deal with Hunter later. Right now, I had a competition to win and a throne to claim.
I tugged Ransom toward the portal, fingers still clenched around his hand, but the commissioner stopped me. “Everyone must go in individually.”
Ransom shot him a glare. “What does it matter? Aren’t we all going to the same place?”
“Those are the rules Beta Ransom.”
He shot the man a dramatic eyeroll before loosening his hold. Bending down so we were eyelevel, he threw me a reassuring smile. “I’ll see you on the other side, Violet.”
“I’ll go first.” Hunter appeared between me and the portal. He glanced at Ransom and his eyes glazed over for a second. My friend nodded, lips pressed tightly together. I opened my mind up to eavesdrop on their mental conversation, but it was over as quickly as it began.
Hunter looked back at me, a shock of dark hair tumbling over his brow from the whirling winds and a vaca
nt expression hung loose on his sculpted jaw. Gods, I longed for the anger, the annoyance, the passion. Anything. “Be careful,” he muttered before leaping into the abyss.
My ribcage tightened as I watched him disappear, but I forced my lungs to keep pumping. Everything would be fine. I’d see him on the other side in a few seconds. Wherever that may be.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I jumped into the vortex. The winds tossed me around before darkness closed in, and my body sank into the gelatinous substance. I barely had time to wonder where we’d end up when a dim light appeared at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter Twenty-One
The ground fell out from under me, and the black gave way to a flicker of light. I landed in a crouch in a dark alley, the buzz of a broken streetlamp above the only sound. I scanned the darkness for Hunter or Ransom, or any of the guys for that matter. A building shot up on the other side of me, blocking out any distinguishable scenery. As I crept toward the opposite end of the alley, where a main street of some sort bisected the narrow passageway, I pondered the missing sun.
All of Azar was on the same time zone, and when we left Moon Valley it was early morning. So where the hell was I? The Underworld was murky, cloudy and covered in ash from what I’d heard but not blanketed in night. There was only one realm like that: Nocturnis.
I was in vampire territory.
Thoughts of my short time on the Isle of Mordis raced to the forefront of my mind. If the vampires themselves were training hunters, it did not bode well for an impromptu visit to this sketchy part of town. Focusing on my magic, I willed my powers to the surface. My wolf pawed at my insides, nudging her head against my ribcage. Easy, girl. Too bad it was a myth that wolf saliva was lethal to vamps, but if a pack of rabid vampires attacked, we’d be ready.