Chapter 88 TIME'S UP
SIANNA'S POV
Challenging a Luna intimated that he must have a secret attack in his plans. Otherwise, I would surely defeat him in a duel. However, one must never underestimate the enemy.
When did Malik develop a crush on me? Only the moon goddess could give me that answer. It was beyond my comprehension why anyone would think that crushing on a Luna was a good idea.
For their mates, Alphas would kill or even go to war. Against Vance, this diminutive warrior had no hope. Hadn't Curtis' demise taught him that? I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. This shit is so fucked up! Although they are friends and he offers to bring me to Curtis, he shows affection for me. Was it premeditated for them to fight each other over me?
In response to him, my wolf growled and bristled, urging me to shift, but I made the conscious decision to strive to talk him out of doing this dumb crap. He tried to encircle me, but I turned in every direction he went, keeping a keen eye on his motions and
movements to predict what he would do next. We jockeyed around each other like gladiators in a ring.
My complete combat mentality was activated, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Black-browing by raising his hackles, he rushed at me. He aimed to take a bite at my leg and I nimbly shifted, dodging his canines. He yelped and retreated as though he was planning his next strike.
"Malik," my wolf's voice dominated mine, "Stand down."
Sticking his ears straight up, he bared his teeth to demonstrate that he would not obey me. Though I have not transformed as yet, my wolf pulls back her ears and squints at the target.
'Why isn't our command working on this one?' She asks.
"I don't know," I told her. My brain's deepest regions were jarred by this incomprehensible behavior.
As he did not come from an alpha lineage, the command ought to have been effective. Even so, as the High Luna, I commanded Alphas too. Perplexed, I believed that something was amiss.
'He could be messing around in magic,' my wolf apprised, 'Be careful.
Almost as though he was reading my thoughts, his lips curl up and his incisors are displayed and he snarls. Aggressively he crouches backward, ready to pounce.
He lunges at me in high air. I ducked until he was flying directly over my head. Bolting upward, I doubled my fist which landed straight into his belly, sending him higher. As he drops to the ground, I tuck and roll backward, getting back to my feet. He whimpered and I hoped that I got at least a rib broken.
"Shift now!" My second command forced him back to his human force. Relief overwhelms me that the peremptory order worked.
The trees tremble and fragile leaves fall to the ground from the vibration. A shadow approaches from the thicket as the underfoot susurration of the tree litter increases. My eyes trained on him, recognizing him to be Chad. Quickly, I mentally scanned to decipher if he was a friend or foe, here to help Malik in his attack. Acknowledging that he was my guard, typically arranged by Vance, I shook my head for him to stay hidden as I pacified the situation. Trusting that my hope was not foolish.
Malik's human form is on the ground, his upper lip is covered in blood, and the blow to his stomach is visible as a crimson blotch. Notably, there had to be internal damage.
"Baby, please keep the link open so that I can talk to you," Vance reaches out to me by way of the mind-link.
"Hurry, there's something wrong with him," I answered back. One thing was for certain this person before me, was not the Malik that we knew.
"Entertain him, make him think that you care," he suggested.
Easier said than done, I thought.
Remaining in a fetal position, and appearing to experience a true moment of conscience, Malik finally spoke, "Sianna, it was my wolf that attacked you. I would never hurt you. I am sorry."
"Tell me what is wrong with you," I demanded, my concern for him now turned into optimism. "It's only the two of us here and you can confide in me. Trust me as your Luna." My guilty conscience pricked. "Why would your wolf attack me and why would you hurt Sammy?" "I need you," he says with appealing regret, and struggled against the pain to stand up.
"I am right here," I affirmed.
He scoffed and forced his words out, "I can bet that you have already informed the big bad Alpha and he is coming after me." He placed his right hand over the wounded area on his body, fighting the pain. " How is that an act of someone who cares? Will you save me from
him?"
"Vance is not well," I purposely said that to see if it meant anything to him. "He is injured and I can hold my own."
Surprised, he asked, "It's odd that you are not by his side. Am I so important to you?" He observed, "You are here with me instead of being there with him."
I shrugged, "Vance is a big boy and I am not on babysitting duty." This should get the message to Curtis. Malik was blatantly a pawn in his little twisted game.
"Is he dying?" A crooked smile decorated his face, "Did someone hurt our Alpha again? Was it you this time?"
These questions are all suspicious. Indeed, he must be collaborating with Curtis. I believe he was the one hiding him amid the pack.
"There is no need for you to worry about that," It was all confirmed now. Malik was an accomplice. I snarl with disgust, "I will stand the responsibility for my own actions." With much effort, I force my voice back to its normal pitch after clearing my throat. "Your mate is worried sick about you."
"Jazmine is dead because you killed her," he whispered with calm rage. "That is how I need you to be there for me, as my mate."
"But Jazmine is not your mate. Sammy is, and I cannot be yours," I
snapped at him. Dragging Jazmine into this did not fit the equation. This was utter confusion. "You were sleeping with Jazmine behind Curtis' back, is that it? What about Sammy?"
"Sammy is not my mate. Please don't ask me about her again." A range of emotions washes over his face before his brows furrow in
anger.
With a disbelieving expression, I thought what the hell? Then voiced, "You marked her, and now you are shoving her aside, for what?" "No one matters to me but you," His entreating voice caused me to
gape. "What would Curtis think about his friend stealing me away from him?" I provoked him in retaliation giving him a stony look.
"Let me take you to him so that you can ask him yourself," He was
urgent and firm. His wound had started to heal and his strength returning. "Time is of the essence because your Alpha will be hounding me soon."
"So speak quickly and answer me," I spoke in an effort to remove the mental helmet that prevented my access to his thinking. "There is no place that we could go where Vance cannot find us. Unless you have a way out for us."
"I am leaving, toots," He turns to run into the forest but halts at the sound of my mirthless laughter. Malik must have picked up Curtis' propensity to use that particular endearment from spending time with him.
"Wait!" Feeling all my muscles tensing in resistance to do more harm, I urged deeply, "Things will be easier for you if you stay and there are ways to redeem yourself." My hope falls as he persistently pulls at me. "Running away makes you appear guilty."
"Come with me, Sianna," He comes closer, taking my left hand in
his, and tugs me to go with him. Firmly, I plant my feet on the ground and resolve not to move.
"Stay, Malik," My Luna command must not fail me, but it does a second time.
"I am not him!" He shouted at me in frustration.
To lead me away, he pulls at me harder, but I was going to deliver a blow for him to fall unconscious. A brisk wind causes a ray of sunlight to hit my eyes as the dancing of the tree branches flickers their shadow across my face. My lids flutter and my iris constricts my pupil. I lift my free hand to deflect the intense light. This loosens
my resolute stance and Malik slings me over his shoulder, my hands accidentally slap his ass. My peripheral sees only ass and leaves on the ground. This deja vu reminded me of Curtis' failed attempt to
kidnap me.
Being carried off as my head bobs against his back. I contemplate if I ought to let him take me away. Chad emerges from concealment after I ordered him to go back; he vehemently objects but complies. Do I allow him to bring me directly to Curtis? Vance would have an awful temper tantrum, so I refrained from making my choice. Though the notion was worthwhile since he was almost here.
"Don't worry, toots," Malik soothes, "Today is the day that we leave this place for good."
My wolf rages and yells in my head, 'Fuck no!'
Her claws elongate and jammed into Malik's lower back, stopping
him as he flung me from his shoulders. The grassy ground met my slamming body.
"Ow!" The sudden sting of pain from the impact shot through me. Growling, I rocketed from the ground into a defensive stance. Breathing heavily, eyes of hatred and resentment stared back at me."
You are selfish, Sianna." At his feet, the blood pools as the pungent
scent pervaded. "My wolf was right about you." He acted like he felt no pain, too enraged from my misconceived betrayal. "Do you think that Vance will want you after you stabbed him? The entire pack will want your execution. This is your last chance to choose me."
I shake my head, smiling quietly through the pain, "I'm not a coward. I can face them." Indeed, he was guilty. "No," His delusion worlds crumble before him, and says with
desperation, "I love you. For me, it was always you." Then with a
personality shift, he adds scornfully, "You will live to regret this
Sianna."
His eyes flicker to the left and then back to me as he becomes aware of the approaching presence of others, and he gallops in his wolf form towards the deeper reaches of the forest.
Shit! I had to chase him. My wolf gladly takes control and darts after
him, as Vance and Blayne catch up to me in wolf form. Chad also
joins.
"Love, are you hurt?" Vance checks on me.
"No babes. I am fine." I told him to ease his worries.
"I want you to go back with Chad and let me handle this," He orders.
"Hell no! I want to be there when we find Curtis." Opposing him, I will not be sent back. "Sianna....." He tries but I shut him down.
"No, Vance. I am coming with you." My voice dripped with finality.
Crunching leaves and twigs as they collide with loud, booming paws smacked against the ground. We take a sharp curve and jump over a large fallen tree. The forest got thicker and darker, but we preserved our trail, using claws to break through some obstructed vines. These parts of the forest that we hardly traversed had no tunnels or caves across these regions.
Up ahead, walking trees congregated to form a barrier, boxing us in. Forced into a crashing halt, Malik slams into a large tree. He stops, unable to advance in his escape into the terrain. His wolf's head swished in all directions in search of an open patch to go through. He fails as we caught up to him and he is cornered. Marlena descends from the skies and takes a position next to me.
Now I understand how those trees moved in that fashion. We shifted
into our human form. Marlena provides me with a short lightweight casual dress to cover.
"Curtis," Vance announces through his teeth, emitting his dark
despotic aura through his channeled anger. "Your time is up." Wait, what? Malik is Curtis? I was with Curtis the entire time! "What in the world........."