Chapter Seventy Eight

Sudden noises erupted from outside, grabbing Silviu's attention. As he turned his head, I knew this was the only opportunity I would get.

The storage container had tumbled over and my gaze had caught sight of something. Extending my hand, I reached for it— my fingers wrapped around the handle of a hammer that had fallen from the container.

"Go investigate that," Silviu instructed his men before refocusing his gaze on me.

"Kill me instead!" Catherine suddenly cried out, capturing his attention once more. "Please, take me. I have nothing left to live for."

Silviu retrieved his blade from my chest, irritation evident on his face. "Shut your mouth!" he snapped.

Reacting swiftly, I was on my feet instantly and when Silviu whipped his head to me, the brunt of the hammer smashed him in the face. The impact landed forcefully, causing him to curse and stagger backward.

Meanwhile, a cry echoed from the shed's entrance as one of Silviu's warriors stumbled inside, clutching his neck, blood gushed out dripping down his fingers The remaining warriors sprang into action, a few of them rushing towards the source of the commotion.

My body cried in excruciating pain when I stood and I feared my legs would suddenly give out from under me but I held on still, clenching my teeth to bite the cry of pain I wanted to let out.

Silviu raised his head, his bloodied nose catching my attention first. "You idiot!" he growled, launching himself at me with his blade.

Swiftly, I evaded the strike, but it grazed my shoulder, tearing the flesh. Pain seared through my shoulder as the blade made contact, but I refused to let it slow me down. With all the strength I could muster, I hurled the hammer at Silviu. The metal connected with his nose with a sickening thud and he collapsed with an animalistic cry, writhing in pain.

Amidst the chaos unfolding around me, I noticed unfamiliar warriors entering the fray, engaging in a fierce battle with Silviu's men. The sounds of fighting and cries of pain echoed around us as the intruders clashed against Silviu's.

Silviu's blade slipped from his grasp as he fell, and I swiftly reached for it, my hand seizing the hilt before he could. Swinging the sword, I plunged it into his ribs. He cursed and cried out as he crumpled to the floor once more. The weight of his sword in my hand became heavier with each passing second. My vision started to darken, and distorted noises filled my ears. The burden of steadying me upright burned my legs and I knew any moment now that I would collapse.

"Natalie, watch out!" Kate's urgent cry jolted me back to alertness.

I managed to evade Silviu's attack again, but he changed at me once more, relentlessly. Summoning my last ounce of strength, I swung the blade at him and drove it into his chest.

Silviu came to a sudden stop. His eyes widened as he gazed from me to his own sword, now buried in his chest, blood drenching his shirt in an instant. He reached out his hand towards the sword, but I twisted it, pushing it further into him. He let out a pained sound before I drove the blade downward, yanking it out of him.

I watched as my uncle choked, his eyes filled with shock and anguish, before he collapsed to the ground.

He writhed, … And became still.

The walls crumbled as a group of warriors burst in, but I was too weakened to pay them any mind. Collapsing to my knees, my head throbbed with intense pain.

"Natalie… Natalie," I heard a voice calling, or perhaps it was a figment of my imagination, but it eerily resembled Nikolai's.

Dots blurred my vision, and I struggled to remain upright, but my strength waned. I braced myself for the impact of the hard floor as I collided against it but perhaps I was far too gone in my imagination because I crashed into someone’s arms instead.

"Natalie, darling," Nikolai's voice trembled, his palm gently cradling my face.

I managed to open my eyes halfway, catching a glimpse of his nervous expression.

I attempted to smile, but even something that simple proved too painful for me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he cried, burying my face in his chest. I felt the rhythm of his chest rising and falling as his sobs shook him.

My mouth parted, longing to utter something, but no words escaped. The last thing I recalled was Nikolai showering me with kisses all over my face, tears streaming down his own.

****

"Hey," Nikolai spoke softly as he gently settled onto the bed.

I opened my eyes and shut them back almost immediately, wincing from the blinding light that erupted. "Too bright," I groaned.

"You need the sunlight," he replied. "How are you feeling now?"

It had been two weeks since I had driven a sword into my uncle's chest, moments after he had nearly beaten me to death… Sure, I was feeling excellent.

Nikolai said I had remained unconscious for several days, and despite the Salutary's efforts to fix my injuries, I’d refused to wake up. It was only a week ago that I finally regained consciousness, yet my body still ached, and I had avoided leaving the bed or interacting with anyone besides Nikolai, Lyle, and the Salutary.

"Good," I responded, sinking deeper into the pillows that enveloped me.

Nikolai stayed silent beside me for a while. Curiosity forced me to crack open an eye and I caught him gazing at me intently.

"Stop doing that," I grumbled.

He didn't stop.

"Really, Nikolai. You make me uncomfortable when you keep looking at me as though you are waiting for something to happen," I expressed with unease.

He sighed. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"No," I responded softly. "I don't feel like it."

Nikolai took my hands in his and squeezed them. I could sense the struggle in his expression, knowing there was something difficult for him to muster the courage to say.

I waited.

"Do you hate me?" he finally asked.

Well, that was unexpected.

"Nikolai..." I began, my voice filled with gentle concern.

"Because you should," he interjected quickly. "I failed you. I should have gone into the manor with you, but I held back. I should have come to you sooner, but I didn't. And look what he did to you..." His voice trailed off, breaking with emotion.

Regret consumed Nikolai's features. "I searched for you everywhere. I had no idea where you had gone, why I couldn't reach your wolf, and I feared... I feared you were dead. When we entered the shed and I saw you on the floor, in that state, you have no idea what it did to me..." He released my hand and buried his face in his hands.

"The sight of you broke me, and I knew I would live with regrets for the rest of my life," he continued, rubbing his hand across his face. "I thought I was going to lose you. Everything that bastard did to you, and I just couldn't... I couldn't believe you would ever wake up. And here you are, but I can't reach you. I can't come in here. I can barely look you in the eyes because of this guilt, Natalie. It's eating me up."

We sat in silence, and I listened to the sound of his breath.

Finally, I spoke. "Come here."

He stared at me, and I opened my arms.

"Come here," I repeated.

He fell into my embrace, and I wrapped my arms around him protectively as he rested his head on my chest.

"What happened to me was not your fault, Nikolai. The blame for what happened to me in that shed is solely on Silviu, and he is dead. I have trouble believing it sometimes, but he really is dead, Nikolai. I killed him, and I've never felt more at ease knowing he died by my hand." I kissed him gently. "I don't hate you, I could never."

"I'm sorry," he apologized once again. "I'm out of my mind... Even though you are here, I can't stop thinking about how close I came to losing you, and the thought drives me insane."

My heart ached for him. I couldn't fathom the pain he must have endured, not knowing, seeing me hurt. I would have brought Silviu back to life just to kill him again.

"I never thought I would see you again," I confessed in a broken voice. "In that moment, when I thought I was going to die, all I could think of was you, how much I was going to miss you. I wanted to see you just one last time, and when you appeared, I thought I was hallucinating."

I attempted to laugh, but it came out as a sob, and soon enough, tears streamed down my face. Nikolai sat up and pulled me close, holding me tightly against his chest, and I clung to him. That was how we remained for a long time—wrapped in each other's arms, crying for the horrors we had survived.