142- Ashes of a Broken Bond
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“Is he… setting things on fire?” I whispered, terrified.
Smoke rose into the sky, climbing between the treetops.
“He’s destroying my fucking village,” Alessio growled, fisting a hand in my hair. “All because of you, you wretched bitch!”
I tried to grab the hand holding me, tears stinging behind my eyelids from the burning on my scalp.
“Let me go and he’ll leave,” I begged. He let out a harsh laugh.
“Only after I remove this fucking mark from you—and then show him you’re not that important, at least not without it.”
A head rolled toward us, leaving a trail of blood across the white snow.
My eyes widened and I held my breath, forcing my nauseous stomach to keep down the little food left in it.
The decapitated head belonged to a blonde female, her hair matted with blood. Her green eyes were bulging, her lips parted.
Alessio snarled furiously and kicked the head away.
“Damn Eldoria wolves.”
We moved toward the back of the village, away from the chaos consuming it. People were running in every direction, and the pungent scent of blood mixed with burning flesh—a nauseating combination that made me feel like I was suffocating.
The effort I made to keep my stomach under control was tremendous.
“Sir, I brought what you asked for,” one of the guards said, stopping before us. He dragged a female by the neck, her arms locked protectively around a newborn pup. She cried and begged while the tiny pup slept. “Where are we going?”
“Please,” she pleaded. “Leave my son.”
Alessio raised his arm and struck her across the face, turning her head with the force of the blow. Her cheek flushed pink, and blood dripped from her nose.
“Shut up, you whore!” the soldier roared, silencing her.
“We’re going to Giovanni’s old cave. It’s isolated enough for me to do what needs to be done.” He lifted his free hand and barked orders to the males nearby. “You—hold the Alpha off for as long as you can.”
They nodded and scattered into small groups, heading into the battle, toward the heart of the war unfolding.
Alessio began walking, holding me so tightly I had no chance of breaking free. We headed into the dense forest, in the direction opposite from where Edric was.
As he dragged me farther away, each step echoed like thunder in my ears. The sounds of battle intensified in the distance, and a sickening dread grew inside me. I didn’t know exactly what his plans were, but I knew I needed to buy time until Edric reached us.
“Where is Giovanni?” I asked.
The Alpha had seen me escape with Elowen on the day of the disastrous wedding and hadn’t opposed me—he had actually given me the chance to run with my sister. Perhaps he could have been an ally.
“Dead,” Alessio replied simply.
“What?” I whispered.
“He didn’t agree with my plan to retrieve you, so I had to kill him for opposing me.”
The female with the pup kept crying, terrified of what awaited us. Alessio was merciless, and more deranged than ever.
“What are you going to do to us?” I cried, trying to break free of his grip, desperation consuming me.
My feet sank into the soft snow, the cold seeping into my bones as my teeth chattered uncontrollably. I wasn’t dressed warmly enough for the freezing temperature.
He turned to look at me, and a grotesque smile twisted his face.
“I’m going to remove the mark, my love. While your wolf fights my men, I’ll break the one bond tying the two of you together. Then I’ll kill you, and when your little wolf arrives, he’ll discover he’s finally free of you.”
My heart pounded, echoing the frantic rhythm of the fear tightening around me. Every muscle in my body seized as his vile intentions unfolded before me.
I shook my head and struggled again.
“No!” I spat.
The mark wasn’t the only bond binding us, but he would never know that. The ritual was dangerous—I could die in the middle of it. And if I died, my pup would die too.
He laughed loudly.
“The little wolf barely got here and you’re already delusional and full of hope. He’s only here because of the mark, sweetheart. Once he realizes I kept my word and removed it, you’ll be worth nothing. And by the end of the day, you’ll be dead and forgotten.” He yanked me hard by the shoulder—bone cracking out of place, ripping a shrill cry of pain from me. “You’re weak!” he spat, curling his nose in disgust. “I hope you don’t die during the ritual—you’d ruin all my fun. I want to watch you suffer while I strip that mark from you, and then while I tear you apart. And when you’re almost dead, and your little wolf shows up, I want him to see how relieved and grateful he’ll be that I freed him from you. But don’t worry—after all that, you can die in peace. I’ll release you.”
“You fucking lunatic!” I hissed through clenched teeth. He laughed and shook his head, unhinged.
“Add that to your little list of… compliments for me—that besides all that, I’ll also be your reaper.”
My dangling arm throbbed, as did the silver-burned wounds on my wrists, my empty stomach, and my battered muscles from days of beatings and cold floors.
I had to be strong. I had to endure, even though I was already at my limit—weak, injured, exhausted.
Despite the cold creeping through my bones, I fought to keep my mind clear and my determination firm. I knew I couldn’t succumb to fear or to his threats. My only chance at survival lay in the courage I could still find within myself—in fighting for the life growing inside me, even if it meant facing the worst nightmare fate had carved out for me.
I needed to get rid of Alessio as soon as possible. He had to die, and I had to escape.