Chapter 52

Sydney

I was losing. Badly.

Elena had already landed probably ten blows on me. Because of how skilled she was at creating illusions, I’d barely had any chance to do one on her. I understood that she was in control of the game, thereby in control of me. The field was hers and she honed like a pro.

My strength was failing me. If I kept this up any longer, she was really going to kill me. Pushing my body to the side to evade an attack, I shot a ball of fire her way. She saw it coming, moved the another way and the fire died out.

I cursed, repeating the action, this time twice in a row. She escaped my attack and somehow managed to send it back my way. A little air out of my mouth and the fire gave out.

“I’ve never told you this before but you’re a shit witch,” she chuckled, running past me. I didn’t see her coming and as such didn’t anticipate the pain that followed the punch that hit me across the face.

I heard a crack and then felt a dripple down my nose.

“Fuck,” I cursed, holding my nose. Pain rocketed through my body in waves and I staggered back, my vision suddenly blurring. “You fucking bitch.”

The only indication that she wasn’t completely unfazed by our fight was the heavy heaving of her chest. “You’re weak. I can’t believe I ever thought you were anything more than what you are: weak.”

My hand was still on my broken nose which I was grateful for as it covered a part of my face because her words cut deeper than a knife. I felt the tingle at the tip of my bleeding nose which made it hurt the more as my eyes watered. This was someone I’d loved with all my heart, my best friend, my sister. I still couldn’t believe it.

“What happened to you, Elena? I thought we were happy.” I was full on crying at this point, not caring if I looked pathetic hanging on to a love that I knew I should’ve let go off.

“You were,” she spat. “I wasn’t. I never was. I always wanted more.”

She waved her hand, fixing me to a spot. I couldn’t move, couldn’t turn. Panic filled me but I willed myself to remain calm. Elena was many things but she wasn’t a coward. She wouldn’t kill me when I couldn’t defend myself. Would she?

“I hated that I couldn’t be with him, that he couldn’t love me like I loved him. I hated being in that house every day seeing him, wanting him and knowing I couldn’t have him. I hated how the hope killed me every time. I hated how he saw me; as a friend. I wanted him to see me as someone who was worthy of his love,” she carried on, walking around my frozen body, her voice carrying bitterness like I’d never heard before.

“And you...” She was suddenly in front of me, holding my gaze with an ice cold glare, like I was the one who’d ruined her life. “You always reminded me that he couldn’t love me, that I was doomed to live my entire life without his love. You never tried to help. You never did anything!”

“I couldn’t make him love you! Not even magic can give you love.” I told her, shutting my eyes as the tears ran. Suddenly, I didn’t want to do this anymore; I wanted it all to end.

“Yes, but you made him a love potion, didn’t you?”

I opened my eyes then, staring back at her in awe. “What? You honestly think a love potion would work on a wolf, much less an Alpha?”

“It worked on that bitch, didn’t it?”

I couldn’t believe her. “Because she’s half-human! I didn’t know it at the time because I hadn’t known she was an Impure but it only worked because of it and it wore off after a few hours. Love potions don’t work on wolves, you idiot!”

She kept silent, her chest heaving. I’d yelled at her, so loudly that my throat became parched. Her eyes told me she was considering what I’d told her, running through the motions in her mind. I wanted her to think about it, wanted her to see that I only wanted the best for her.

“Why would you even want that, Elena?” I asked her in a small, defeated voice. “Why would you want a love you know is not real?’

As I watched her, I saw that her eyes began to water. My heart broke for her, for what she lost and never had. I wanted to hug her, wanted to tell her that she deserved all the love in the world. That resolve was what drove me to push with all my strength, so hard that I broke free from her hold.

I started for her but she took a step back, holding out a hand. “Don’t touch me. Just… don’t.”

She broke out into a sob and I couldn’t help myself. Why were we even fighting? What was the point of all of it? Yes, she loved Lucien and he didn’t live her back and the rejection had made her join the wrong team. It wasn’t the end of the world. She was hurt, was all.

Deep down I knew she wasn’t a bad person. She’d just lost her way for a while. Penny had been the mastermind behind everything. She’d pushed her to the limit and had made her do all those terrible things.

Without asking her, I reached forward to hold her in her arms and she broke down completely. I let her. Her pain flowed through me and I wept with her. Love had never been fair. It was one of the reasons I tended to stay clear of it.

Elena’s love had drove her into recklessness. All her decisions had been based on an unrequited love that had done her more harm than good.

As we wept together, I couldn’t stop thinking. Lucien would never forgive her.

In fact, I was pretty sure he was going to kill her and there was nothing I could do about it.