Chapter 28

Lola felt her heart sink all the way to the ground when she heard what Russel’s brother said. That didn’t make any sense at all. It couldn’t be true. Could it? There was no way at all. The man was lying. That had to be it. Russel had fought werewolves, ghouls, and even oni for her. He protected her through all of that so how could the lying bastard be speaking the truth? Besides, why would the king of the Oclan werewolf kingdom want her dead? She was nobody. An insignificant human girl in a backwoods village most people haven’t even heard of before. It made absolutely no sense at all that someone as powerful as that would send one of his sons into the heart of the human kingdom just to murder her.

Then she remembered Drake. Drake had tracked her down specifically and then killed everyone in her village just to get to her. If a completely different prince of a separate werewolf kingdom wanted her dead then was it really that far of a stretch that the other one would want her dead as well?

She backed away, shaking her head, tears starting to form and drop from her eyes.

“Is it…,” she asked, her voice failing her for a moment. “Is it true? Were you sent to kill me?”

'Please say no,' she thought to herself. 'Please say no. Please.'

“It’s not, right?”

The sharp pang of fluttery panic heightened inside her, made worse by the fact that Russel wouldn’t answer her. She moved so she could see his face but that only made things even worse. She didn’t think that was even possible, that she could feel even lower, but seeing the look in his eyes was devastating.

They were the eyes of someone who didn’t want to admit the dark truth.

“Russel?” she asked.

Finally, he turned to her directly, his face set with a grim, dark sadness. He didn’t say a word but he nodded his head very slowly. It was almost imperceptible.

“There,” Ro exclaimed, that sickening grin of his only making Lola’s heart hurt even worse. “You see? He admits the truth now.”

“What a fool,” one of the brothers remarked. He looked the most like Russel in terms of facial features and build. The biggest difference, however, was that this one was clean shaven where Russel sported a beard. His cold, dark eyes glared at the two of them, each in turn. “What did you really think would happen here, Rus? That you would leverage your rank and stow her away here?” He laughed but it was forced and full of pure, outright disgust. “You’re fifth-born, you fucking moron. You have no leverage. Father decreed this human girl be murdered and instead you bring her back here like some kind of pet? You have fallen too far this time.”

“Father got word of you coming weeks ago, before you even stepped foot in Oclan. He knows everything already,” the hairy brother said. “And he is very unhappy with you. He sent us here to do what you clearly couldn’t.”

Lola couldn't hold it in any longer. Their words kept crushing more and more of her spirit. She couldn't believe it. She knew now what they said was true but she still couldn't believe it. Anger and frustration clouded her mind and she started to pound repeatedly on Russel’s chest. He didn’t move to stop her. He just let her hit him, too sad to do anything else.

“You son of a bitch!” she screamed. “Why? Why did you accept? And why didn’t you just get it over with when we first met?”

She was sobbing harshly.

He looked down at her, his own eyes watery. His chin quivered slightly. He reached out a hand and touched the side of her face. He swiped some of her tears away with his thumb as his own tears fell from his eyes and he smiled sadly.

“Because I just…” He stopped. The sad smile he had deepened. “Couldn’t do it.”

“That’s fine, Rus,” Ro said, advancing on them now. “You see, Dad doesn’t care anymore which of us kills the bitch so long as she dies. I suppose sending you was probably some sort of test to see if you had the strength to kill. Looks like you failed.”

Through her grief and pain, those words seemed to spear right into Lola.

Failed?

Strength to kill?

That was nonsense. She wasn’t a werewolf and could barely even remember her lessons on them but even so, since when was electing not to kill a bad thing? When did sparing someone’s life mean they were a failure? What kind of savage, brutality did these people live under? In that moment, she realized something important. So important it blunted the pain caused by Russel’s lie and the fact that he had been sent to kill her.

The realization was a simple one.

Russel hadn’t done it.

Instead of killing her, he saved her life. And then he saved her life several times over since that time. Whatever else could be said about him, he was not a failure. In fact, in her eyes, he was not only the complete opposite, he was her protector.

A savior.

She stared up at him, her body relaxing and the anger draining away from her.

“I don’t care,” she whispered.

His eyes widened and he glanced at her, their eyes meeting.

“What?” he asked. She could tell there was something inside him that still felt guilt and shame. A part that detested himself for even agreeing to do what his father had commanded in the first place.

“I don’t care, Russel. I don’t care if you were sent to kill me, okay?” She nearly screamed this out, wanting her words not only to reach him but his brothers too. She turned, her eyes flaring with red hot anger. Her body was stiff and her fists were clenched, one of them hovering close to the handle of her blade where it poked out of its sheath. “And I don’t care what you four assholes plan to do, we’ll fight you and we’ll win. We haven’t come this far to lose now.”

She grabbed her blade and slid it free of its sheath with a whisper of metal against leather. She fell into an easy, comfortable fighting stance, the one Russel had taught her.

“This oughta be good,” the heavy-set brother said. Ray, if Lola remembered correctly. Ray and Ro. Those were the only two Russel had addressed by name.

“Seems like you and your human pet want a nasty death,” the Russel look-alike commented. “We’re more than happy to rip you both apart. And trust me when I say, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”

“How bout we quit yappin’ and get to it,” the hairy brother snapped. He threw both arms out wide, fingers splayed, and his nails growing into claws. A wicked, hungry gleam sparked in his eyes.

“Brothers, brothers,” Ro said. “No need to be hasty. Our dear brother here and his human look ready to fight. We have an opportunity for some real fun. We shouldn’t waste it by killing them so quickly.”

“Look,” Lola said, talking to Russel who was starting to change himself. “I’m still pissed you didn’t tell me the truth but you have proved so many times you don’t want to hurt me. You have proved so many times that you care about me. Despite what your father told you to do, I know you won’t hurt me, Russel. And I know you won’t let them hurt me either.”

His eyes flashed with amber fire.

“Damn right I won’t,” he said.

“Then we fight again.” She gave him a wink and then lifted the blade in front of her face.

Both her and Russel stood side by side and faced down the four princes of the Oclan kingdom.