Chapter 47
ELARA’S POV
My heart pounded a wild beat against my ribs. I bolted from the lake, wrenching my gaze from Silas’s corpse; the reek of rot still clung to my nose, making me want to retch. The ghastly picture of Silas’s bloated form seared itself into my brain. It didn’t look fresh; that body had been submerged for days, maybe longer. Hell, I was lucky to even recognize him.
I whipped my head left and right, frantically scanning for Ronan’s wolf. “He was right here…”
The snarls grew louder, more vicious. They came from my left. I sprinted toward the sound, lungs on fire, legs screaming in agony.
Then I saw them. “Rona—” The name died in my throat when three massive wolves circled him, their black coats gleaming, eyes glowing with murderous hunger.
Ice flooded my veins. I knew instantly who they were. Rogues. But how? How had they breached this territory? Kael’s warning slammed back into my skull.
“He always gets what he wants. No matter the distance or how long it takes.”
Darius’s rogue wolves.
Before the horror could fully sink in, the wolves attacked. Fur and fangs exploded in a blur. Ronan’s wolf, though outnumbered, fought with a savage fury that bordered on madness. He evaded a snapping jaw, then clamped his own teeth into another rogue’s flank with a wet, bone-crunching snap.
Now I understood why he was feared. This was Ronan’s raw, lethal power unleashed.
The air thrummed with snarls, growls, and the sickening smack of bodies colliding. Ronan’s wolf darted and twisted, using his speed like a weapon, striking fast, aiming for throats and bellies.
My fists clenched at my sides. I wanted to lunge in, do something. My wolf whined inside me, aching to help, but I knew charging in would only make things worse.
Was I just going to stand here and watch?! Ronan was strong, but he could be torn apart!
Just as one rogue circled behind to strike, a huge ash-gray wolf barreled into the fray, ripping the sneak attacker away from Ronan’s blind spot. Four more wolves burst from the shadows, fanning out behind Ronan’s wolf like reinforcements.
Relief surged through me, but it shattered when an arm locked around my waist and yanked me backward.
“Don’t move,” a low, familiar voice murmured against my ear. “It’s me, Kael.” His breath was warm on my skin. My body sagged against him without permission. “If they spot you, it’s over.” His grip tightened as he dragged me deeper into the trees.
I opened my mouth to argue. The odds had shifted, but Ronan was still bleeding badly.
Kael halted behind a thick trunk and released me. I started to speak, but he pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me.
From the corner of my eye, movement. “Kael—” I breathed, heart racing as the figure stepped closer. Then blood sprayed across my face. I blinked, stunned.
A man crumpled at my feet, chest torn open. My gaze snapped to Kael; his hand had morphed into massive claws, dripping crimson. His eyes flickered from beast to human. I swallowed hard and backed away.
No—
“Elara—”
I didn’t wait. I spun and bolted back toward the fight, desperate to see if Ronan was safe.
My eyes locked with Ronan’s wolf across the clearing. He tilted his head, staring past me. I whirled to see Kael behind me, claws retracted but hands still slick with blood. I tore my gaze away and sprinted to Ronan, feet slipping on blood-soaked leaves and rogue corpses.
“Ronan!” I cried. The rogues lay dead; he’d survived. Joy flared, then died when I saw the deep gash in his flank, blood matting his dark fur. I pressed my palm to the wound, feeling torn muscle and hot blood. He whimpered, pain rippling through him. Kael approached; the backup wolves formed a protective ring around us, but all I saw was the wounded wolf in front of me.
~
Ronan lay unconscious, skin ashen, lips cracked. His labored breathing told me how much pain he was in, even after the blood I’d given him. I’d cleaned and packed the wounds with my blood and herbs, but the gashes were deep; they needed time. I sat beside his bed in his chambers, watching the deep frown etched on his sleeping face. A broken sob slipped out; the near-loss crushed me.
“He’ll pull through,” Theron, his beta, said quietly, eyes on the floor. It sounded more like he was reassuring himself than me.
“I know,” I rasped, voice raw.
“I’ll handle things until he’s back on his feet,” Theron said, turning to me. “You should rest too.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, nodding. He bowed stiffly and left, closing the door softly behind him.
I rose and perched on the edge of the bed, tracing the scar that cut across Ronan’s cheek to his jaw. His skin was cool under my fingertips. The brutality of his injuries, the brush with death, carved fresh pain into my heart.
Lost in thought, I didn’t hear Marceline enter until her sob shattered the silence.
“Ronan,” she breathed, rushing to his side, hands cupping his face. Her eyes blazed with fury and heartbreak when they landed on me. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.
“Taking care of him, as you can see,” I snapped. Exhaustion and grief left no room for patience.
“You’ve done enough,” she said icily. “Now get out.”
“I—”
“Out!” she shrieked, voice cracking with rage. My wolf flinched inside me.
I huffed, pride stinging as much as my heart. I wanted to stay, but I wouldn’t bicker over his unconscious body. As I reached the door, I glanced back: Marceline cradling Ronan, clutching his face with fierce, possessive love. The sight twisted a new knife in my chest. I sighed, looked away, and shut the door behind me.
I started toward my chambers, but Kael stepped into my path, blocking the hall.
“We need to talk.”