EVANGELINE.
I gasp, as Zed is thrown to the ground so unexpectedly that he doesnât have time to protect himself. His head slams into the rocks behind him and I cry out in panic and fear.
What have I done?!
I attempt to rush towards him, my heart thundering violently, guilt and agony tearing through me. To my horror, my body refuses to move. That darkness and unease that has been circling me, strengthens immensely.
What is going on?
Why did I react so cruelly towards him?
Almost as if I have no control of my body. Isa had just explained everything to me so why am I hurting him?
I try to move, try to explain, but Iâm unable to.
Heâs hurting!
âEvangeline.â He says as he sits up, and it breaks me to see there is only worry and regret in those eyes of his, despite the b***d that is dripping down the back of his neck.
Zed..
âBaby girl, are you ok?â He approaches me, uncaring of his own injury.
I hurt him.. how could I hurt himâ¦
He raises his hand, reaching for me, when I feel as if Iâm being pulled away.
No, be angry at meâ¦
But thereâs no anger, just worry, love and sadness.
No, Iâm sorry. I shouldnât have run away, I shouldnât have let it get to meâ¦
I feel even more hurt.
âLuna, whatâs happening? Why did I hurt him?â I sob as everything around me seems to darken until I can no longer see Zed.
âWe are cursed to be doomed.. it is⦠out of our hands..â Her faint voice comes.
The curse?
I know it isnât Evelyn, but whatever I had felt had been powerfulâ¦
Luna! What do I do?!â
Thereâs no reply, and fear squeezes at my heart.
âZed!â I shout fruitlessly, but Iâm met by a block.
A sinister chuckle makes my b***d run cold and I can almost hear the echoing of her footsteps within my mind.
Evelyn.
I have never felt her so strongly in my mind as I do nowâ¦
âOh, dear sister⦠Your jealousy, self-doubt, pain, and bitterness have weakened the barrier.. itâs time I claim that throne.â She chuckles darkly.
No. Evelyn, I promise you I will save you. Just give me some time!â I beg, trying to look around.
âThe thing is, I donât need saving anymore. The throne will be mine⦠Zerachiel and Zedkiel will be mine too. I donât need you to save me anymore..â
âNo. please, wait!â
This canât be happening!
This is my fault! Why did I get so angry?!
She chuckles. âEven now you donât realise that you werenât even in control of your own body earlierâ¦
Thereâs far more at play dear sister than just you and I..â
âZed will figure it out! Or Zerachiel willâ I scream as I feel as if my soul is leaving my body.
I can feel Lunaâs anguish, but sheâs so farâ¦
No.. no! What have I done?
âYou mean, what have I done? Evelyn chuckles as I feel the shadows close down on me.
I am the goddess⦠nothing can hold me!
âBut the curse of the Eternal God is far stronger.â
She chuckles sinisterly. âAs for Zerachiel and Zedkiel, I will handle them.â
Thatâs the last I hear, before she throws me into the abyss of my own mind. A prison with no light or escape.
Suddenly I feel an excruciating strain in my chest, itâs so painful I canât breathe, itâs as if something is being ripped right out of me.
What is going on?
I whimper in agony, and itâs like I am being continuously stabbed in the chest. I double over, feeling myself fallingâ¦
âZed!â I scream.
He canât hear meâ¦
I. Sheâs taking control of me⦠I need him to know that I love him..
âZed, Iâm sorry⦠I love you! I. love you..â
But he canât hear meâ¦
Lunaâ¦ââI choke, trying to look around, but as far as I can see, the shadows are consuming me.
Weighing down on me, like beasts of darkness.
I..
The pain is unbearable and soon I succumb to the pain; the darkness claiming me entirelyâ¦
ZEDKIEL.
Pain rips through me, as she throws me back with such force, I canât fight it. I struggle to my feet as she stands there unmoving, glaring at me with such hatred that it makes it hard to breathe.
Evangeline..
No, she canât hate me. She has to hear me out.
I try to approach her. The river is rippling violently, hitting the rocks, and the sky has become cloudy.
âLittle Mouse, listen to me, Im sorryâ¦I f****d up! I should never have hidden it from you! But it just didnât cross my mind. I swear it.â Iâm pleading.
For the first time in my life, Iâm begging to be heard.
âYouâre the only one for me.â I whisper hoarsely.
âSomething is wrong.â I hear Zerachielâs pained voice from inside.
Why does he sound so weak?
What do you-
Thatâs when I feel it, the intense painful pull that tears through me and I fall to my knees.
Fear envelops me as I realise what this is..
The mate bond.
My eyes snap up, my heart thundering as I watch her standing there. Sheâs unmoving, her head hanging, but thereâs nothing.
No sign of a struggle, or her auraâ¦
âEvangeline!â I force myself to my feet as I stagger over to her and grab her by the arms, shaking her. â
Look at me, baby girl!â
I cup her face, forcing her to look up at me.
Come on⦠snap out of it!
She doesnât respond, her eyes still glazed. My heart is thundering like a galloping horse, yet hers is steady and rhythmically calm..
The bond. whatâs happening? I feel the intense sparks diminishing beneath my fingers as I look at her frantically.
Itâs fadingâ¦
No, god no!
âEvangeline⦠f**k..â
Is Evelyn taking over?
What have I done..
This is my fault!
She gasps, her eyes flying open, and I look down at her. Her beautiful face is the same as ever and thereâs no sign of pain or panic.
Thank f**kâ¦
I pull her into my arms, kissing the top of her head in relief.
âF**k, you scared me.â I murmur, relief flooding through me.
My heart is thundering, but sheâs content and calm. Sheâs ok, thatâs the only thing that I can think of.
I run my hands along her arms. The sparks are there but they are faint..
My heart squeezes.
Did she reject me? Even if she didnât say it out loud fully.. Because sheâs the goddess, what if, in her anger, she destroyed the bond?
Fool!..â Zerachiel growls just as Evangeline tugs away, her eyes glinting coldly, and I feel my stomach drop.
Itâs not her.
A small smile crosses her lips, and she raises a hand to my face, a sad expression replacing the smile as she caresses my jaw.
âTo think I didnât even have to fight, she indeed no longer wants you.âShe says looking into my eyes before she removes her hands and looks down at them.
âWhat do you mean? Where is Evangeline!â I ask, trying to control my anger.
She shakes her head. âShe rejected you; didnât you feel it?â She asks with a glimmer of concern in her eyes.
I tense, feeling the hollowness inside.
No, this canât be possible.
âShe wouldnât reject me.â I snarl dangerously.
âThen explain why you feel so empty inside⦠you do, donât you? Donât be so foolish Zedkiel.. I mean, she never really cared for you, anyway.â
âAnd you would know that because?â I hiss.
Zerachielâs rage is barely controllable and the pain of betrayal is eating up at me.
I did this; I made a mistake, and she so easily rejected me?
She sighs, âYou may not like me Zedkiel, but I too am your mate⦠Zerachielâs mate.. I wouldnât lie to you.â
She frowns as she stares at the river that has once again calmed before she turns to me and raises an eyebrow.
âTell me, Zedkiel, if Iâm lying, why is the bond so weak between you two? You felt it break, right?
She whispers sorrowfully.
I scoff, stepping away from her âThereâs no bond or spark between us, eitherâI snarl I need Evangeline.
âOf course, there isnât, or not enough for you to feel it, because Zerachiel knows my wolf is dead. And thatâs why he doesnât want a mere mortalâShe whispers.
A part of me wants to understand her, but I donât care, not now. I want Evangeline, I need her!
âI want her back. Bring her backâthunder,I grabbing her by the neck.
A small cold smile crosses her lips, and she grips my wrist. Sheâs powerful and dread seeps into me when I sense her powers. Not because they are immense, but because they are mixed with Evangelineâs white aura, Somehow, she has her powers. How?
She notices my shock and smirks coldly.
âSee? Sheâs given up Sheâs given me her body.
Behave before I have you thrown away in the cells for disobedience! Remember, I am the rightful rulerâ
âEvangeline is! Not youâ I snarl My heart is thudding violently as I fight to keep Zerachiel at bay.
I donât know what heâll do if I let him out, but one thìng is clear, he is ready to draw b***dâ¦
âBut I am Evangelineâ¦â She tuts.
âYou are not!â I hiss, âYou will never be her! No one will accept you!â
She c0cks a brow, shoving me away. âBut the thing is, who will believe you? All I need to do is tell everyone you want the throne⦠that in rage and blinded by jealousy, you tried to kill me.â She blinks innocently,
My rage is slipping from my control, my heart thudding as my eyes blaze red.
That hatred towards her is only growing, but I have to remember that she is in my Evangelineâs body, she has to be in there. Somewhere.
âNo one will believe you.âI hiss.
They will. I know they will.
My stomach twists as she advances on me, almost as if sheâs bearing down on her prey. But Iâm an Alpha too, and I donât back down.
She smiles, a smile that doesnât belong on Evangelineâs face.
âThe thing is.. you never told anyone of importance about the real me⦠so now⦠no one will believe you. Try to have me locked away, Zedkiel, and I will have you thrown from this kingdom for your betrayal. I will make sure that you are exiled.â
Iâm ripped from the forefront of my mind as Zerachiel lets out a thunderous growl, taking control and grabbing her by the neck.
âDonât!â I should.
âI want her back!â He thunders.
Evelynâs eyes fill with a flicker of pain and sadness as she grips my wrist.
âZerachiel.. â She murmurs.
He has a hold on her. She may be able to show me arrogance, but somehow Zerachiel is her weakness.
We can use that, if his temper doesnât take over.
âYou have no right to call me by that name! I Zerachiel, the first Lycan, reject you Evelyn, daughter of the moon, as my mate and Luna!â He thunders.
NO I shout. She gasps, her lips quivering as I feel something weak snap inside of me.
A bond that was already on the edge of destruction.
âZerachiel, take it back! We need to control her to get Evangeline back!â I shout, panic filling me and I realise everything is spiralling out of control.
Iâm afraid I wonât! She needs to be punished!â He roars, dumping her roughly onto the ground.
She falls to the ground, but I know he wonât kill her. I can feel him trying to control his urge for b***d.
Thank f**kâ¦
She looks at him. Her eyes, which were filled with sadness moments earlier, are now replaced with hatred.
âDo you really think Evangeline wanted you? This was going to happen, anyway.â She scoffs, getting to her feet.
âWhat do you mean?â Zerachiel hisses.
She blinks before smirking coldly. âEvangeline was going to die after breaking the curse so I could live.â
Her words make my b***d run cold.
I donât believe it.
She wanted to be with me, She wants to.
âLies!â Zerachiel hisses.
She doesnât respond, and despite how much I refuse to believe that, the next sentence shakes me to the very core⦠She looks me dead in the eye, her voice crystal clear as she says the words that shatter any faith I have left.
âYou know Iâm not lying⦠deep down you know you were never enough to keep her.â