Unedited
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I hated going against Kaden's orders. I didn't want to leave the bunker, or the terrified people inside. But the fear consuming my entire being, creeping through my body like the black veins occupying my skin, the fear of losing Kaden, of losing my child, is powering the muscles in my legs and forcing them to move.
Powering my tongue to whisper the masking spell to hide everyone inside the bunker once I've left, it's all that's keeping my head held high and my resolve strong. If it wasn't for my fear of losing everything, I'd have run and hoped for the best.
Deep down I know that this is the right thing to do. It's better to face Allivander alone than him find me inside that bunker with all of those people. He would kill them all, even little Dane, I knew it in every fibre of my being that he would.
If he found me even when I was masked with cloaking magic, then I wasn't safe down there.
"Why does being noble and selfless have to be so cold." I grumble to myself, wrapping my arms tighter around my body as the wind nips at the skin it finds under my hoodie. I didn't take a coat into the bunker because I figured I wouldn't be leaving in the middle of the night, so I'm stuck with my hoodie and my thin sports leggings that I will never be wearing on an evening again.
The air is cold and bitter, the darkness swirling around my being like the grim reaper's cloaks, tangling with my feet and clinging to my skin like the heavy scent of fear in the air. I can smell the subtle scent of blood with every inhale, mixed with the sweat of other supernatural species. It's dancing in the heavy wind blowing from the direction of the massacre that I'm trying to end right here right now.
The frost bitten twigs littering the woods snap like brittle bones beneath my feet, the sharp crack filling the silent air surrounding myself as I walk towards "where all this started", or whatever Allivander quoted. It didn't take very long to work out where all this began, where we first learnt about his plot without even realising it.
I take myself back to walking with Kaden, the dull lifeless eyes, the hole in the door boy's chest, and I shiver involuntarily, and this time it's not because of the cold. Remembering the death of the vampire sends chills of disgust and fear through my whole body.
I know what Allivander is capable of, yet I still walk willingly towards him.
I pass the sign welcoming us to the lake space, an old wooden sign nailed to two poles protruding from the ground, and feel my stomach crawl up my throat and sit there, a sickness washing over me.
"What the hell am I doing?!" I scold myself, running my hands through my hair in frustration, my feet hovering just after the sign in hesitation.
I can't just walk to Allivander willingly. He might be calling to me because the battle is already won by us, and he wants to cause final damage. He might not have known where I was, he may have just found my mind, the cloaking spell could've worked.
I didn't think this through, and I'm so close to giving myself on a platter that I feel my knees weaken. He probably already knows I'm here, and without Shiva I'm a sitting duck.
And Kaden, oh god Kaden will never forgive me for putting myself in danger whilst carrying his child. He'll never forgive himself for leaving me in that bunker if I'm not okay, if our child isn't okay.
"What the hell am I doing?" I repeat to myself, mumbling the words out loud against my fabric clad knee. "I shouldn't be here."
"That's right," a familiar voice scolds, and I whip my head around in shock to be with someone. "What the hell are you doing outside of the bunker?"
My eyes water at the sight of Lyle, dressed clad in battle leathers, every inch of his skin covered in bite proof, protective armour. One sleeve of his mail has torn off, exposing his blood covered arm, the thick liquid oozing from a slash peeking from underneath his breastplate. His eyes are murderous, his face set into a harsh frown, his lips pulling into a wince when he rotates his shoulder. "Do you realise how worried Kaden was when he caught your scent, he nearly had his arm ripped off by an orc!"
"I'm sorry!" I sob, tears rushing down my face as Lyle envelopes me in the familiar bear hug I didn't know I missed. "I didn't think!"
"Of course you didn't think Lola." Lyle mutters into my hair, his good hand stroking the back of my head. He pulls away and lets his dark gaze stare into my own. His hair has fallen from his bun, thick black tendrils framing the sharp features of his mud covered jaw. "When have you ever not been impulsive?"
I sniffle, wiping my eyes to hide my crying, to appear mature in front of the one boy I've wanted nothing more than to impress. "I just want this war to end."
Lyle smiles, running his thumb underneath my eyes, capturing the stray tears I couldn't remove myself. "Oh silly little pup, it is over, we won."
"I wouldn't say you've won just yet." A brittle hiss comes from behind us, and I feel my blood freeze in my veins. That voice, that dreadful voice, the one that has haunted my thoughts, my friends, possessed them and taken things from me, I hear as it leaves lips of flesh and not imagination. "Because whilst you supernaturals are celebrating," he says the word supernatural with such distaste that I cringe. "The real prize is here, and you're all I wanted from this Lola, so thank you for making this easier for me."
I see Lyle's shoulders tense, trying to shield me from Allivander, who I still haven't seen yet, he doesn't stop me from peaking round his broad frame.
And I can't help but gasp.
Allivander's appearance changes like flowing water, his face and body morphing constantly into something different, someone I knew. One minute he's the vampire he killed, long dark hair and pale skin, then he's Sophia, and my whole body bristles in fury.
But what shocks me most is that whilst his body may change shape or height, one constant always stays the same.
Half of it is wolf. Half of him is me.
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Allivander smiles, but it isn't warm or friendly. The constant change of teeth and mouth shape creates a sinister sneer that has me shivering right down to my toes. He knows that I've caught on, that the thick wiry hair escaping from underneath his smart slacks is Shiva, the horror on my face is helping send Lyle to correct conclusions.
"I see you are understanding what is happening." Allivander sneers, his hands tucked behind his back. I can't look at his changing faces, it's making me feel queasy, because sometimes I see strangers, sometimes I see my dead best friends. It's excruiciating seeing them and knowing that they're not real.
I notice that his eyes never change colour, always remain the pale violet Shiva was gifted with by the moon goddess. I can feel my anger returning at the sight of the stupid warlock that took everything I held dear away from me.
I clench my fists tight against my side, knowing full well I can't do anything against my own wolf. I can't hurt her, not even if I wanted to. She's stronger than any wolf I've ever met, and even with my superior fight training, I couldn't best her.
"Why do you need me if you already have her?" I bite out harshly, watching as his ever changing smile never fades away, almost as if he expected my reaction.
He straightens the sleeves on his suit, hiding away the short wiry white fur I saw peeking out from under the cuffs. "You see, when I thought I had killed you, it meant that Shiva was mine, I was supposed to have free reign. I had captured Shiva's from her living human host, and I should've been able to fuse with her because you were supposed to be dead."
I watch as he shifts his neck, a small look of discomfort flickering through his various faces. I smirk when I see cracked blue skin covering the whole of his neck under his dress shirt, signs of a wolf rejecting their human. It's incredibly rare that it happens simply because the moon goddess gives us our wolf.
Obviously because Allivander has transplanted Shiva into his soul and I'm still alive, he can't control her.
"Aww, is my wolf staying loyal to me." I tease maliciously, watching as Allivander's violet eyes narrow in distaste. "It's such a shame that you're going to die because your experiment didn't work."
Allivander's face stops shifting and settles on the face of my old best friend Mark, Sophia's mate. My heart crawls up into my throat at his soft features, freckles across his nose, slicked back brown hair. Staring at the cold eyes of my dead friend makes me want to cry all over again. He knows what he's doing, mentally torturing me. He's doing a great job at it.
"I'm not going to die, Lola." Allivander chides like I'm a small child that has stated something obviously wrong, like the Earth is flat. "I'm part vampire, part faerie, part werewolf. You can't kill me. I'm immortal."
"We found a way to kill the rest of your pitiful soldiers, warlock." Lyle growls dangerously, his eyes flickering in the dim moonlight as his wolf surfaces. "Everyone knows you're here, everyone is coming for you."
Allivander, or Mark rather, smiles at Lyle with a resentment burning in his eyes. "Thank you Lyle for notifying Kaden we're here. Saves me using magic to possess someone again."
He fixes his gaze on me, completely cutting Lyle from conversation, like he's said his peace to the boy who's practically been my brother my whole life, and now he is no longer necessary. "If you had come by yourself, Lola, nobody else would have had to die." He cocks his head to the side and sneers sadistically. "Well, you wouldn't have been around to see anyone else die. You would've met them in the afterlife, but hey seen as though you plan on making things difficult, I'll make your life miserable until I end it myself."
I'm staring at him when he suddenly disappears. His body dissolves into nothingness, like his body is fluid matter in the air. I didn't know necromancers we're capable of such a thing, but you learn something new every day I suppose.
"Lola," Lyle speaks urgently, panic evidently laced through his voice. "Keep your eyes open. Look out for shimmers in your vision. His soldiers did this. They're invisible, but you can still hurt them. They can still touch you."
My eyes dart around the woods, desperate to catch a flicker in my vision. But the forest is dark, my vision limited by the moonlight sifting through the dense foliage above me. I'm stressing, my breathing coming out laboured, as I scan around myself and Lyle to find the necromancer hell bent on killing me.
"Lyle, I can't see him." I start to panic, clutching onto him like he's a lifeline. "Can you see him?"
"Calm down." Lyle shakes me vigourously, staring at me with a hard look in his eyes. "Lola, remember who you are. You are an born alpha, Luna to Aplha Kaden Throne. Calm yourself down and don't panic because he's still here somewhere."
"He's right there." A voice whispers close to my ear, before Allivander materialises behind Lyle, and snaps his neck six inches in front of me. Watching 'Mark' snap the neck of his best friend crushes my heart and squeezes my throat, trapping the scream I desperately want to release. Mark's face smiles sinisterly, his eyes the only reminder it isn't him. They burn a dark purple in the moonlight, the hatred so visible in eyes that were once so kind. "Brilliant trick this, becoming invisible. It was how we killed a lot of your people. Looks like I did it again."
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I never introduced him before but I feel like I should now after we've officially "met" Mark through Allivander.
Mark is played by Colton Haynes, which I think is highly appropriate.
Lovely picture at the end of Sophia and Mark, shame we never saw their character development.
I HATE HATE HATE ALLIVANDER! Killing my baby Lyle, right in front of Lola.
Comment if you hate Allivander!
Like if you hate Allivander!
JUST LIKE IT LIKE IT LIKE IT!
This book is definitely coming to an end now, a few chapters left before this goddamn year long journey is finally over.
You guys have been incredible, I have never loved anyone more than I love you guys (Okay maybe lexa) but other than that you guys are my numero uno.
But yeah, Lexa is love, Lexa is life.
Until next time my beautiful humans!!
Lauryn xoxo