Chapitre 31

My heart beat into emptiness.

The blood-red eyes glowed with anger and cold.

He didn't even look at me for a moment and yet I felt caught.

He looked like a monster.

"I found something here that was sneaking around in the palace," said Zelos and reached behind him.

That wasn't him.

He grabbed the person by the collar and threw them into the aisle, flipping them over once. The crowd fell back behind the guards. No one dared to stop him in his plan.

The color drained from my face and the blood dropped toward the floor.

Beta Leo.

He looked around, hissed and wanted to storm away, but Zelos was faster. Relentlessly he grabbed him again by the collar of the fake guard's uniform and dragged him across the stone floor straight towards us.

"Here's another traitor we should take care of," Zelos growled, eyes as red as the blood moon.

My breath caught in my throat.

This was not the companion I knew.

He threw Leo next to the kneeling Talon.

My heart jumped against my ribs one after the other as if trying to escape between them. But there was no escape.

where was tommy

If Mayra still had him in her claws-

"We should start with him to set an example!" Zelos snapped. "He not only killed one or the other werewolf to be able to disguise himself as a guard, he also threatened the life of my companion!"

Astor stood speechless behind his uncle, who himself was still in chains. He didn't dare disturb the Lycan either.

"Bring me the silver whip!"

Zelo's voice raged through the throne room and left nothing but chaos. Leo looked like a ghost. Even Alpha Fenrir jumped up from his chair.

"We can't do that. Even here in Silberblut it's forbidden," he said over the noise of the crowd.

Zelos grinned sadistically.

"Yes we can," he replied, snapping his fingers.

Suddenly Leo jumped up and lunged for the throne, right at Dana. She shrieked, wanting to jump out of the way.

A black bolt of lightning slammed the ex-Beta to the ground, sending the thrones tumbling aside. Ero's wolf form bared its teeth and came dangerously close to Leo's throat.

Talon's chains rustled.

"I told you so!" he yelled at the crowd. "You let a monster into our pack! He's worse than the primal wolf, and he'll bring nothing but ruin to us all! If you'd listened to me-"

A fist and a crack turned the prisoner's words into a moan of pain. He held his bleeding nose.

"Tie him up so he can't stir anyone up!" Astor commanded over the chaos.

Meanwhile, one of the guards had come up to us with a velvet red box. Zelo's fangs shone in the light of the chandelier and he nodded to the guards.

They dragged Leo out of the clutches of Alpha Eros and into the center of the room. The scratch marks were already healing, leaving only red streaks of blood.

"No, no please!", he begged while Zelos put on black leather gloves. He opened the box. "You can't do that! NO!"

The screams made my bone marrow tremble.

Zelos lifted the silver by the handle and the individual silver elements of the whip licked the ground. Gun in hand, he strode toward the front window and positioned himself a few yards from Leo's back, who was wriggling in the guards' grips.

"NO! NO!" he yelled.

His face was twisted and tears glistened in his eyes.

The crowd froze under his cries for help, but no one dared to come to his aid. No trace of satisfaction or hatred, just fear of pain and death. It choked me.

This wasn't my mate, bathing in fear, wearing that sadistic grin and not deigning to look at me.

He raised the whip.

I took a step towards him, but someone got ahead of me.

"Stop!"

Zelos' smile faded when Astor stepped in.

With broad shoulders, he stepped between him and Leo.

"Get out of my way, wolfless alpha," Zelos growled, sending goosebumps through my stomach.

What was wrong with him?

Why was he so angry?

"No! I am the rightful Alpha of this pack and you have no right to flog that wolf!" he ordered.

"I'm the Lycan!" Zelos shouted. "Get out of my way!"

Astor clenched his hands into fists.

The emotions boiled over.

"I will not go! This is my pack and I will protect it! Even the lycan must abide by the laws of the pack!"

"WE WILL SEE..."

Cold sweat rushed down my back.

I charged forward and squeezed between them. My gaze was only for Zelos. His brow furrowed as he was forced to pay attention to me.

"Please," I whispered, "stop that. It's not you..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME, ELIZABETH," he snorted, the whip hissing at his side.

I flinched for a moment, but stayed rooted in my place.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, and his eyes seemed to soften for a moment. "You're not the monster from the fairy tales. You're kind and loving..."

The rubies hardened again and he dropped the whip like a silver snake. The sun shone out from behind the gray clouds. A storm simmered behind Zelo's expression as he fought himself.

"Forgive me," he breathed like the whisper of the wind.

A force pulled me sideways, almost tripping over my own feet.

Kerberos had buried two of his dentures in the skirt of my dress and was pulling me off the track. I tried to fight against his strength, but all my weight was useless.

"Let go!" I commanded.

To my surprise, the giant dog listened to me, loosened its teeth, and I lost my balance.

"Ow..."

I landed on my tailbone, my arms too slow to catch myself. The dress had holes in it. I turned around only to see Zelos and Astor growling at each other.

But suddenly the fire in the Lycan's eyes went out.

His eyes twitched to me.

For a moment I could see into his soul, the wolf I fell in love with, my mate. His eyes traveled down and widened a bit.

I furrowed my brows.

Warm liquid ran down my forearm. The pearly white sleeve of my dress soaked in blood like a tablecloth that had been spilled with red wine. The dark red liquid migrated through the fabric until it dripped thickly down my hand.

Everything rustled.

The dagger.

No pain.

I pulled out the gun with my right hand. My blood glistened on the blade. I banged it on the stone floor. I raised my gaze back to Zelos.

He looked beautiful as if he belonged in the sunbeams and winter landscape beyond the windows. He took off his gloves and dropped them forgotten on the floor. Blood was on my hands. I tried to get up. The smell of iron dulled my senses.

"Hi, -y-an!"

Astor seemed to say something. His lips moved while he looked at Zelos. But he only had eyes for me and the wound. Just as he was about to take a step toward me, something flared in the light of day.

A second silver dagger.

In the hands of Astor.

And the tip pointed to my companion's heart.

"ZELOS!" I shrieked.

Astor charged at him, gun raised high. He didn't need gloves. Silver couldn't harm him. I rushed to them.

Even before Zelos had blinked, the knife cut through his shirt and pierced his chest like a nail.

Hissing cut through the air. The red eyes twisted into a cry of pain. My stomach cramped at the white smoke hissing from the injection site.

Zelos stumbled back.

The dagger stuck in the heart.

He looked at me.

And smiled.

He smiled, ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Astor hit him backwards. With full force Zelos rammed against the window front. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces and the wind swept over his body.

With closed eyelids he fell.

"ZELOS!!!"

Cold wind blew against me.

I tripped over the splinters crunching under my shoes. I felt my way to the edge and looked down into the abyss. The wind whipped my hair around, but only one thing mattered to me. I scanned the snowy landscape below the palace.

There he lay.

All you could see from up here was red on white.

"NO!" I shrieked.

Water pooled at the rims of my eyes, blurring my vision. My bloody fingers were clawing at the shards. A sob broke out of my throat. Nothing moved in the sea of snow, only the faint glitter of the crystals.

“ZELOS!!!"

He didn't move.

What was left of him.

The pain ate at my heart and left nothing but emptiness.

“ZELOS!"

My voice trailed off.

Forgive me ...

I squeezed my lids shut, but the tears rolled past, down my cheeks and splashed onto the broken glass. His words echoed in my ears as if he were still here. As if there wasn't a silver dagger stuck in his chest. As if the wind hadn't swallowed him. As if gravity hadn't pulled him down like a fallen angel.

As if the earth hadn't swallowed him up.

I am sorry...

His words tore my heart.

Tears mixed with blood.

The icy wind hissed against my cheeks.

Why had he apologized when I had forgiven him everything ?

Sob after sob escaped my lips.

How am I supposed to forgive him now?

"I'm sorry," I whimpered into the cold. "Please come back..."

The hot rivers dripping from my chin made me barely smell the iron. His blood was also on my hands.

"Zelos, please!" I called down. "Zelos, you have to get up again, please!"

My voice was lost in the howling wind that carried it away from here. I slumped backwards, away from the abyss, away from my mate.

I had to see him.

Downward.

He couldn't be... lost.

He was the Lycan.

The strongest wolf created by the moon goddess.

I hauled myself to my feet as thousands of broken glass clattered onto the stone floor, splattered with our blood. Some had cut into my palm, others simply dented.

I had to find him.

I staggered forward, but a paw pulled me to the side. Like a puppet she swept me away from the chaos, the council and Astor.

The killer.

He had rammed a silver dagger right through his heart.

He had pushed him through the glass into the abyss.

"You killed him!!!" I shrieked. "He trusted you!!!"

But my voice was lost in the cheers of the crowds celebrating the death they had just witnessed. The wolves and humans smiled, were relieved, hugged each other while my heart had turned to a stone in my chest. Fresh tears blocked my view, but I shooed them away with my bloody sleeves.

They applauded a murderer.

And Astor did nothing.

He watched the crowds and just let this injustice happen.

The brown eyes no longer bore any of the warmth I had once seen in them. His hair was the same color as Talon's.

Zelos had trusted him. Otherwise we would never have traveled to the western forest and retrieved him from it. If Zelos had never been, Astor wouldn't be here and could sully his name.

"You murdered him, you traitor!!!" I yelled, struggling against the arm that was pulling me relentlessly. Astor's eyes flickered to me. A spark of pity flared in his eyes, but he said nothing, letting the cheering go keep happening. My heart was pounding wildly against my ribs. "He put all his hopes in you!!! You monster!!!"

My voice cracked in so many places like a storm was blowing through my throat. I gasped for air and tripped over my own feet. The sobs made it difficult to talk.

Astor showed no emotion.

The wolf dragged me to the side exit, away from the shattered glass, the freezing wind, the cheering crowds, the fake alpha and away from Zelos...

"No..." I croaked. "Let go of me!"

I kicked, punched and hissed at the wolf, but he didn't let up. Even before I could lose one last look at Zelos' murderer, the wooden door slammed shut in front of me and stifled the applause and cheers of the audience.

"No..."

They thought Zelos was the tyrant.

And now they were celebrating his death... They were all united in their hatred of him, and at the forefront was the real criminal. My steps became slack. The shock in my bones wore off.

The strength left my body and concentrated only on the beating of my heart. I collapsed in the wolf's arms and cried my heart out.

Tell me ...

Zelo's voice haunted me like a ghost of himself. He wanted to make peace, that had been his only wish, between us, between the packs, between the world.

Now there was peace.

And the price had been his death.

And he had paid it without hesitation.

I am sorry ...

I threw my head back.

Everyone rejoiced at the death of the tyrannical Lycan.

He wanted to provoke Astor.

He knew that he would die today.

Why else would he have said goodbye?

"It's not fair," I whimpered. "It's unfair..."

"Everything will be fine," the wolf said, but before I could turn around, I felt pressure on my shoulder.

Every muscle sagged, finally my eyelids and everything was shrouded in darkness.

I was deaf

My body was numb.

My heart was dull.

My feelings were colorless.

Whoever pulled the black fabric over my eyes didn't do much. The kidnappers had tied my hands and feet so I lay helpless on the back of the wolf, which had been sprinting through the snow for hours, panting more and more.

I should be afraid

But the insensibility deadened any stirring of emotion.

I should be sad

But what was the point? Zelos wasn't here anymore. After Leo didn't return, Luna Mayra certainly didn't spare Tommy... My family was weeks away.

And I probably wouldn't live much longer myself.

I cried at first, but there were no more tears to soak through the fabric over my eyes.

I should be panicking about what the kidnappers were planning to do with me.

Yet there was nothing they could do to me that would equal the buried pain in my heart. Who was still worth fighting for?

Who was worth living for?

The lies had won.

Astor sat on the throne.

Nothing had changed.

And the world kept turning.

The world keeps turning, and if you're not careful even without you .

I closed my eyes.

No matter how far we went from the capital, his voice accompanied me everywhere, as if he were still a part of me.

For a moment, emotions broke through the wall I had built brick by brick since the palace.

He was part of me.

A part that would never leave me.

And no matter how hard I tried, I would never get rid of him.

In the darkness before my eyes, his ruby red eyes would occasionally flash, his trademark smirk and the lust that made his gaze burn. And the love he felt for me.

As long as I was here, he would never leave this world. His inheritance was the peace for which he had given everything, even his life.

And I had to accept his decision.

I breathed in the fresh winter air, which was getting warmer and warmer. Maybe we were only there for a few hours, but it felt like days or weeks.

Nothing in the world, nothing, could hurt me like I felt in the palace. Not the darkness before my eyes, the wolf under my belly, or the chains on my feet.

The journey with Zelos had made me strong and no experience in this world would harden me like the time with my companion.

As if they had overheard my thoughts, they slowed down. The panting around me mingled with the wind and the chirping of the birds. I wiggled myself off the wolf's back like an eel, until I felt the snow under my boots.

"Untie her."

On the wolf's cue, someone knelt behind me and not a second later the bonds around my hands and legs were torn. I waited patiently until finally the fabric was lifted from my head.

The sun hit me straight in the eyes and I blinked a few times. For too long I was trapped in the dark and only with my thoughts, so that nature and the light around me seemed alien to me.

Snow-covered trees and bushes, animal tracks in the white and a sparkle like diamonds. The winter had still shut down the stream, but the birds chirped all the louder. And in the middle of the landscape stood a house.

I knew this place.

"What the-"

"I was wondering when you would finally arrive..."

The voice.

She wasn't in my head this time and a smile tinged her words.

I breathed out the white mist like I was in a dream.

"Zelos."