Chapter 69 Out of control.

Chapter 69 Out of control.
Elira 

I stood beside the cart long enough to watch Nira and Ryker disappear through the settlement gates before finally climbing inside. The celebration behind me was still alive with laughter, music and chatter, but it slowly faded as the horses began pulling the cart away.

A small smile lingered on my face. For the first time in a very long while, Ryker looked genuinely happy.

He is married now, Nira is carrying his child, his people adore him. Soon, he would be crowned king.

After everything he had suffered through, after every sacrifice he had made for people who rarely understood the burden he carried, he finally had something good. Something worth fighting for.

I leaned back against the cushioned seat and released a slow breath. He deserved it.

Then, against my will, another face slipped into my thoughts. It was Kael’s.

My smile slowly faded and I stared down at my hands.

‘A child.’ The thought appeared so suddenly that it startled me. ‘Can I ever see myself having a child with Kael?’

The question sat heavily inside my chest. Before I could stop myself, Ryker's voice echoed through my mind.

"Do you love him?"

I groaned softly. The night suddenly felt stuffy. I reached for the curtain covering the cart window and pushed it aside.

Cool air immediately rushed in and I inhaled deeply. It felt much better.

Outside, moonlight painted the road silver. Trees stretched endlessly on both sides while shadows danced between their trunks.

A few feet away, Drex rode alongside the cart exactly as he had been doing since we left.

His back straight and his eyes alert. His hand was never too far from his weapon.

I watched him for a moment before shaking my head. "Do you take a break at all?"

His eyes shifted toward me briefly before returning to the road. "My job is to protect you and His Majesty. I don't think a break comes with that."

I laughed. "You don't have to be so uptight all the time. I know Valerith taught its people to expect danger around every corner, but things are different now."

"They aren't." His answer came immediately.

I sighed. "Drex..."

"What happened at Silvercrest proves that."

My smile disappeared. He wasn't wrong.

Drex continued. "We still don't know who wants peace and who doesn't. We still don't know who sees Valerith as a threat. We still don't know who might be planning something behind closed doors."

His jaw tightened. "I can feel it, Your Majesty. Something is wrong."

I rested my elbow against the window frame. "I still think it's under control. Kael sent letters explaining everything."

"And none of them have replied."

That shut me up. My gaze drifted toward the trees. The silence between us lasted several moments before Drex spoke again.

"As much as we want peace, we need a plan for war."

I nodded reluctantly. "I know." A sigh escaped me. "They probably think I'm a monster now."

Drex frowned. "You are not."

"I attacked someone in front of an entire kingdom."

"You attacked someone who betrayed you."

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters."

I looked at him.

Drex's expression never changed. "You're safe in Valerith, my queen."

A small smile appeared despite myself. "Thank you."

Then I added, "But you and I both know I can take care of myself."

The words had barely left my mouth when something changed instantly. My wolf stirred and every muscle in my body locked.

A scent drifted through the night wind. It smelt foreign and dangerous. I sat upright immediately.

Drex noticed and he looked at me. His eyes widened in awe. "Your eyes..."

A twig snapped inside the forest and both our heads snapped in its direction.

There was silence after that, but it didn’t take long before another sound came. This time, it was closer. .

Drex's sword was already in his hand before I could speak. His horse stopped and he jumped to the ground. "Stay in the cart."

I ignored him.

Every instinct inside me screamed Danger. The woods suddenly felt alive.

I could hear everything. The leaves shifting, boots brushing against dirt, breathing, multiple heartbeats. Far too many.

Then the sound of steel crashing against steel fills the air. 

Drex had found them. Or they had found him.

An arrow suddenly exploded from the darkness. The carter never even saw it coming. The shaft buried itself deep in his chest and he fell instantly.

"Drex!"

I leapt from the cart. The moment my boots hit the ground, a massive figure emerged from the darkness.

He wore black from head to toe. He had a mask and armor on. Even his eyes seemed swallowed by shadow. But it wasn't the man that caught my attention. It was the weapon in his hands.

My stomach dropped.

It resembled a spear. But unlike any spear I had ever seen. The blade was forged from a strange black metal that seemed to drink in moonlight rather than reflect it.

Jagged hooks curved backward from both edges. Thin channels ran through the center of the blade.

Dark liquid coated the grooves. It was poison, I could smell it. The scent alone made my wolf snarl. “Wolfsbane.” 

The weapon had only one purpose. To kill me. 

The man charged fast. Far faster than someone his size should have moved. The spear aimed directly for my heart.

I sidestepped at the last second and my hand shot forward. The weapon flew from his grip. Before he could react, my fingers wrapped around his throat.

I slammed my forehead into his face and I heard a bone crack.

He staggered under my grip. Keeping my fingers firmly wrapped around his neck, I twisted and his neck snapped. He fell to the ground, and the object fell out of his hand. 

Before I could reach for it, another attacker rushed me from the left. A third came from the right. And then a fourth emerged behind them.Three at once.

I bared my teeth. The first swung a curved blade toward my ribs.

I caught his wrist and twisted it. The blade changed direction and buried itself inside the second man's shoulder.

He screamed out in agony. I drove my elbow into the first attacker's throat.

The third man lunged forward but I ducked beneath his strike and swept his legs from under him. The moment he hit the ground, I stomped down hard.

His nose shattered and blood exploded across the dirt.

The wounded attacker recovered faster than expected.

He charged again and I grabbed his arm. Used his momentum against him as I threw him directly into the man trying to stand. They both crashed together.

Before they could separate, I slammed my fist into one face. I did it again and again until neither moved.

"Drex!" I turned and that was when confidence vanished.

There were more, over a dozen men poured from the forest like a swarm. All dressed in black and all of them carrying those cursed weapons.

Drex fought fiercely. But for every attacker he dropped, two more appeared. I sprinted toward him.

My shoulder slammed into one enemy and my fist crushed another.

Finally, I reached him and our backs touched. Both of us were breathing hard. We were both surrounded. 

Drex cursed underneath his breath. "We are outnumbered."

I looked around. There had to be twenty, maybe more.

"I need to get you out of here."

I shook my head. "It's too late."

The attackers tightened their circle.

One of them nodded as a signal. Then every single one charged at me.

Something broke inside my chest. Power exploded through my veins uncontrollably. Agonizing pain shot through my body as my bones cracked. 

The sound echoed through the clearing, and the attackers froze. Fear appeared in their eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" one of them shouted. "Attack her!"

But it was already too late. The moon called to me. My feet lifted from the earth and gasps erupted around me.

The world became light. My eyes burned. My skin burned. Everything burned.

I looked upward to the full moon as if drawing my strength from her. 

Then I looked down and the power answered. A wave exploded outward from my body as bright as the sun. I immediately understood what it was. 

‘Animal magnetism.’ 

Every attacker stopped. Their weapons slipped from numb fingers and their knees hit the ground one after another. Like puppets whose strings had been cut.

Their eyes widened. It wasn’t with hatred but with terror and obedience. They stared at me as if I were a goddess descending from the sky.

Nobody moved as I landed softly. Silence filled the clearing.

The sword beside one attacker gleamed beneath the moonlight and I picked it up.

The man looked up at me helplessly, but I didn’t care.

The sword flashed as I threw it against his skin and his throat opened. Blood spilled everywhere and this only fueled my anger. 

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I moved through them like death itself. Without hesitation or mercy. When the last body hit the ground, the clearing became silent once more.

I let out a deep breath. I suddenly felt safe and then, the power vanished abruptly.

My feet trembled as the glow left my eyes. The burning stopped and reality returned.

I looked around. There were bodies everywhere, blood soaked the earth and metallic scent filled the air. 

The sword slipped from my fingers as my stomach twisted violently.

"No..." My voice cracked.

I staggered backward. "No..."

My hands shook as I raised them to my face and saw they were covered in so much blood. A horrified gasp escaped me.

‘What have I done? What have I become?’ 

I turned desperately. "Drex?"

My heart stopped when I saw him lay motionless on the ground. I dropped beside him.

"Drex!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Drex, wake up!"

There was no response. Tears filled my eyes instantly. I knew my power did this. I had done this.

The wave that forced those men to submit had struck him too.

"Drex..."

A sob escaped me.

“Please. Please wake up.” 

But he didn't. Panic swallowed me whole. With trembling hands, I lifted him.

His body was heavy, far heavier than I expected. Somehow, I managed to get him onto his horse. Then I climbed up behind him.

The horse took off immediately, racing toward Valerith.

Wind whipped against my face and tears blurred my vision.

Blood stained my hands, clothes and skin. I couldn't stop staring at it.

I couldn’t stop remembering their faces and the way they looked at me before I killed them.

I had slaughtered helpless men. My breathing became uneven.

"I killed them."

The words haunted me. "I killed them."

The horse continued racing through the darkness.

Drex remained unconscious in my arms.

And for the first time since discovering what I truly was, fear wrapped itself around my heart.

Because one terrifying question refused to leave my mind.

‘If I couldn't control myself tonight… What happens next time?’