Elowen's Mask

Elowen's Mask
Kaius

I couldn't move. It must be these damned fluids being passed into my veins. I was forced to endure hours of pain and agony, the only comfort I got during that time was the minutes I spent thinking about Elowen.

The black liquid burned through me like liquid fire, following my veins with methodical precision. Each new dose sent fresh waves of agony radiating outward from the puncture sites in my arms. My wolf howled within me, weakening with every passing hour as the poison did its work.

My fear was that they got her too; I didn't mind them taking me; I was ready to bargain my life to save hers if it came down to that. She could go back to Frost, I was confident that he would take good care of her and she could live the rest of her life happy. The only problem was that in this position, my life wasn't really good enough to make the bargain.

The door opened, flooding the dim room with harsh light. I squinted against the sudden brightness, my vision blurry and unfocused from hours of pain. A familiar scent reached me—one that I'd know anywhere, even through the stench of chemicals and my own blood.

Elowen.

My heart lurched painfully in my chest. She was here. They'd taken her after all. I struggled against my restraints, summoning what little strength remained in my weakened body.

"Elowen," I managed, my voice a hoarse whisper.

She stepped fully into the light, and I blinked, trying to clear my vision. When it finally focused, I barely recognized her. She was dressed in a tight black dress I'd never seen before, her makeup dramatic and harsh, highlighting her beauty in a way that seemed almost predatory. But it was her eyes that truly shocked me—cold, distant, lacking the warmth they always held when looking at me.

"Elowen," I tried again, willing my voice to be stronger. "I need you to listen to me. I know the elders brought you here, I will find a way to get you out of this place." I paused, fighting through waves of pain to speak clearly. "Once you are safe, you will go to Frost, he will need your support to lead the pack."

She didn't respond immediately, walking closer with measured steps, her head tilted slightly as she studied me. Something was wrong. The way she moved, the detached curiosity in her expression—this wasn't the Elowen I knew.

"Elowen, how did you get in here?" Suspicion began to creep through my mind, overriding the initial relief at seeing her.

"Oh. Thalia let me in." Her voice was casual, as if discussing the weather.

"Thalia." The name tasted like poison on my tongue.

"Yes. Did you really think you would get away with cheating her?" A small smile played at Elowen's lips.

"Wait what?" Confusion clouded my thoughts. What was she saying?

"Don't act all so surprised Lycan. You use people; that's what you do best." She circled my chair, trailing her fingers along my shoulders, her touch devoid of the warmth it usually carried.

I shook my head, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Why are you saying these? Elowen, what did they do to you?"

"Do I look like I had been forced in anyway?" She gestured to herself, spinning in a slow circle to show off her outfit. No bruises, no signs of compulsion or torture.

My stomach knotted with dread. "What is going on Elowen?"

"As I have said, justice is catching up with you." She leaned in, her breath warm against my ear. "So you really thought that after you disgraced me before the pack members and everyone, I'd come running to your arms again?"

"I know I did wrong, Elowen, and I apologized; you forgave me, remember?" Desperation crept into my voice as the unthinkable began to dawn on me.

"Yes, I remember telling you that," she replied, straightening up. "I would have told you anything you wanted to hear, just as long as you believed me, Kaius. You hurt me, and not everyone is as forgiving as you think. So I played you."

Each word was a knife to my heart, but I refused to believe it. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. Not Elowen. Not my Elowen.

"You know what? I don't believe you, Elowen; they forced you to say this to me, didn't they?" I searched her face for any sign that this was an act, that the real Elowen was still in there somewhere.

"You've been investigating the murders in the pack, and stupid love sick you didn't include me on the list." Her smile widened. "Who did you think freed Thalia? Who do you think killed those soldiers, and let's not forget the poor little girl you found dead, her body torn limb from limb and thrown into the well."

Suddenly, it all made sense: the lack of leads, the way the killer navigated our security. The realization brought back the memory of finding the little girl's body, the horror, the consuming rage.

"Elowen, if you think you are doing this to help me in some way, then don't. This won't help me, tell me this is all lies." I was begging now, willing to grab onto any explanation other than the one before me.

"Now you would feel my pain; you would understand what it feels like to be heartbroken," she continued mercilessly. "I thought Dorian was bad, but everything evil that happened to me was because of you, and that had to end."

She stepped back, turning toward the door. "Kieran, you could come in now... love."

The name was a jolt, sharp and painful. He entered the room, his eyes never leaving Elowen as he moved to her side.

"You could return the ring now," she said, extending her hand to him. He slipped a familiar moonstone ring onto her finger. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Beautiful," Kieran agreed, his voice low. "Just as you, my love."

Bile rose in my throat as his hand possessively encircled her waist, drawing her against him. Elowen smiled up at him, the warmth I'd always craved directed at another man.

"It had been all part of the plan I made with Kieran," she explained, turning back to me. "I knew you would be weak enough to accept me back. For a powerful Lycan, you were quite easy to play."

Every word, every gesture drove the knife deeper.

"Do you know what they would do to you?" She continued, pleasure evident in her voice. "They would take away your wolf with the very same weapon you used to kill those elders. You would be brought down to nothing, and as appealing as that sound, I wouldn't want to hang around to watch."

I tried to lunge forward, my muscles straining against the restraints. "Wise option," I spat, fury beginning to replace the shock and heartbreak.

"Don't hold your breath; you won't be getting out of here anytime soon," she said, turning toward the door.

"Wait." My voice had dropped to a dangerous growl, something shifting inside me as I watched her pause. "When I get out here, I will kill your lover, Kieran, and after that, I will kill you, bitch."

My threat hung between us, feeling as light and empty as air.

With a final cold smile, she turned and left, Kieran's arm around her waist. The door closed behind them, leaving me alone in the dim light, the machines pumping their poison into my veins.