Chapter 54 The Rogue's Return
LIRA POV
The silver blade descended toward my throat.
I rolled sideways, ignoring the scream of pain from my wounded leg. Mira's knife buried itself in stone where my head had been seconds before.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be." She yanked the blade free, circling me in the darkness.
I pushed myself upright, back against the cavern wall. "Killing me won't make Kael love you."
"Love?" She laughed, the sound echoing off the ancient stone. "I don't need his love, I just need you gone."
Above us, voices shouted. Kael's roar of fury, Thomas calling orders. But they sounded distant, too far away.
"He'll find me." I kept my eyes on her blade, tracking its movement.
"Not before I'm finished." She lunged again.
This time I caught her wrist, twisted hard. The knife clattered away into shadows. Mira snarled, her wolf rising in her eyes as she slammed me against the wall.
My head cracked against stone as stars exploded across my vision.
"I've been patient." Her breath was hot against my face. "Waiting for the right moment, but you just keep surviving."
"Sorry to disappoint." I drove my knee into her stomach.
She doubled over with a grunt. I shoved past her, searching for the knife in the dark. My fingers found cold metal just as she tackled me from behind.
We hit the ground hard. I felt something in my ribs crack, tasted blood. Mira's hands closed around my throat, squeezing.
"You don't deserve him." Her voice broke with rage. "You're nothing. Just a broken, worthless"
A massive body slammed into her, tearing her away from me. I gasped, sucking air into burning lungs as Thomas's wolf stood over me protectively, his fangs bared at Mira.
She shifted mid-leap, her wolf meeting his in a clash of teeth and claws. They were a blur of violence in the dim light.
"Thomas, don't!" I tried to stand, but my legs gave out.
He had her pinned within seconds, his jaws around her throat. But he didn't bite down, didn’t finish it.
Footsteps thundered above as Kael's voice cut through the chaos. "Down here!"
Rope dropped into the cavern. Guards descended quickly, pulling Thomas off Mira. She shifted back, naked and bleeding, clutching her throat.
"She attacked me!" Mira's voice came out raspy. "The Luna tried to kill me!"
"What?" I stared at her, shock freezing me in place.
"I followed her down here because I was worried." Tears streamed down Mira's face. "And she went insane. Started screaming about how I wanted to steal her mate."
"That's a lie!" I lurched forward, but pain dropped me to my knees. "She was waiting for me, she had a silver knife."
"There's no knife." One of the guards searched the area. "Just blood."
"Because she threw it!" I looked at Thomas desperately. "Tell them, you saw her attacking me."
Thomas shifted back, his expression troubled. "I saw you both on the ground. Fighting. I couldn't tell who started it."
"Thomas, please" My voice broke.
Kael descended the rope, his eyes immediately finding Mira's injuries. The claw marks across her chest, the bruising around her throat.
"Get the healer." He moved to Mira's side. "Now."
"Kael." I tried to crawl toward him. "She tried to murder me. She's been planning this."
"You're covered in her blood." He finally looked at me, his expression cold. "And she's the one who can barely breathe."
"Because I fought back!" Desperation clawed at my chest. "Are you blind? Or has her pussy blinded you?"
The words came out harsh, vicious as I watched him flinch.
"Careful, Luna." His voice dropped to something dangerous. "You're already facing serious accusations."
"Accusations?" I laughed, but it came out broken. "She set a trap. Poisoned my wounds with silver, lured me down here, and tried to slit my throat. But sure, believe her tears."
"Why would she do that?" Kael helped Mira to her feet, his arm supporting her. "She has no reason"
"No reason?" My vision blurred with rage and tears. "She's been in love with you for quite sometime now! She wants me dead so she can have you!"
"You sound paranoid." He turned away, dismissing me. "Thomas, help Lira up, we are going back."
"Don't touch me." I slapped Thomas's hand away when he reached for me. "Don't any of you fucking touch me."
I dragged myself upright, using the wall for support. Blood dripped from my reopened wounds, but I refused to show weakness.
The climb back up was agony. My ribs screamed with every movement. By the time I reached the surface, I was shaking from pain and shock.
Aria rushed forward immediately. "Lira, let me"
"Check Mira first." Kael's command was absolute. "Her injuries are more severe."
I watched him guide Mira to a fallen log, watched him stroke her hair while Aria examined her throat. The bond between us felt like shattered glass, cutting both ways.
Thomas appeared beside me, his voice low. "I'm sorry, I should have gotten there sooner."
"You saved my life." I kept my eyes on Kael and Mira. "That's more than he did."
"He's conflicted." Thomas offered lamely. "The mate bond versus his history with her"
"History, is that what we're calling it?"
"Lira"
"How long?" I finally looked at him. "How long have they been fucking?"
Thomas's silence was answer enough.
"Years?" I pressed. "Months?"
"Two months." He wouldn't meet my eyes. "Before you, when Kael first returned from exile, Mira was there. She understood what he'd been through."
"And I don't?" My voice cracked. "Because I was just a prisoner in a cellar?"
"That's not what I meant."
"But it's what he thinks." I watched Kael cup Mira's face, checking her injuries with gentle hands he'd never used on me. "I'm his mate by fate, not choice. She's his lover by choice, not fate."
"The bond will win eventually." Thomas tried to sound reassuring. "It always does."
"Does it?" I turned away, unable to watch anymore. "Or does it just force two people together who hate each other?"
Aria finally came to examine me. Her hands were efficient but cold, her usual warmth absent.
"The silver wounds are infected." She cleaned them without meeting my eyes. "This will hurt."
"Everything hurts." I gritted my teeth as she worked. "What's a little more?"
Kael approached after Aria finished bandaging Mira. His expression was unreadable.
"We need to talk about what happened." His said his alpha voice, all business.