85

Word Count: 1993

~Onyx

I hold Sienna's trembling hand in mine, her palm upturned for my assessment.

A healer already stitched the wound, white gauze secured around her hand. I can't stop looking at it, feeling the quiet rage stirring in my gut.

I should have been there. When I heard she wanted to go to the village, I should have sent guards with her. While I wasn't aware people's perception of Sienna had gotten so bad, I should have figured.

My pack members hate Zion. All they know about Sienna is her connection to him, and not the incredible woman she is beyond that.

"How does it feel?" I ask softly.

"Sore, but I'll be okay," she sighs. "It's my pride that's wounded more than anything."

She told me about how she had a moment to let Christian die, but didn't. Instead, she turned on her attacker, saving her life and her brothers.

While she might not have been in the headspace to realise it, but she might have saved a lot of lives sparing him. Beyond death, he could still have ways of putting everyone in danger. We'll have to be smarter about ridding of him.

"I understand why you hesitated. You're not inherently a killer." I lower hand tentatively.

We're sitting in bed together. It's impossibly late, but the time isn't on my mind. I'm too wound up to sleep, knowing that I can't do anything to avenge Sienna for what happened to her.

"I had no problem killing that stranger..." She mutters, squeezing her eyes shut at the memory.

I take her good hand into mine, winding my fingers through hers. "It's different when it's someone you know."

"It's not just that. Christian told me your pack members are never going to accept me. I think he's right."

When she opens her eyes again, they are red and watery. She's genuinely hurt. Not because someone sliced her hand open and tried to kill her, but because this pack means so much to her. She wants to be a good Luna, and doesn't think she can be when everyone was against her.

Sienna is all I have ever wanted. My pack members not accepting her was always my biggest fear, but it won't change my decision.

I'm not going to let her go. Not ever.

"Christian will say anything to turn you against me," I remind her. He's poisoning her thoughts, wanting her away from my protection so he can execute whatever plan he's building.

She shakes her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. "No, Onyx. He truly meant this."

"It's not the majority of people who do not favour you because of your connection to Zion. It's just a select few that are extremely patriotic," I tell her, brushing away the tear with my thumb.

I need to do more work. I need to get her out more in pack, showing her off so people can get a chance to learn about how wonderful she is.

"It's enough for me to be in danger."

"You're safe here, I promise." I smile gently. "They just need time to see that you are not associated with him. They've seen articles about you at Imogen's party, having your wedding announced to Alston. You even married him, and now people are scrambling to make sense of how you and I are married so shortly after."

It's a confusing mess that I haven't had time to remedy. I'll have to speak to a few journalists so they can make it clear that Sienna is a victim of her father and Alston, and was forced into a faux marriage.

"I know, and I don't blame them." She lowers her head, auburn hair fanning around her face. "I'm just...I'm scared."

Pulling her against me, I secure my arms around her. If I had it my way, I would keep her in my arms forever, where I know she is safe.

I have to rid of Christian. I have to give Sienna a chance to relax.

"I'm here for you, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you." I kiss the side of her head, breathing in her familiar scent, feeling my limbs starting to relax.

She pulls away, sniffling. I let her think for a moment, before her eyes venture up to meet mine.

"So, I went down to the library to find a book I thought you might want to read again, and I ran into Lexa," she says uncomfortably.

I pause for a moment, trying to remember why that name sounds so familiar.

"Lexa...as in the Lexa—"

"Kayn's sister and the one you almost married." She nudges me, giving me a pointed look.

I pull a face. "I was never going to marry her."

It wasn't that Lexa was a nice enough girl, she just didn't fit into the role that I needed her too. I was never intending on marrying for love if I couldn't marry Sienna, so whoever I did pick needed to be suitable to be Luna.

"Regardless," she says. "She told me that you never killed Kayn. That you sent him to be executed instead."

I grimace. Oh no.

I never thought I would have to think about Kayn again. Standing over his beaten body, watching him bleed out to the point of almost death before choosing to spare him in that moment still haunts my mind.

It would have been so easy to kill him in that moment. I would have enjoyed every second of watching the life drain from his eyes.

And yet, I couldn't do it.

Sienna doesn't deserve to be with a man who kills so flippantly. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it for the right reasons. So, I decided to send Kayn off to prison so he could be formally executed.

"Before you praise me, you should know that I was going to kill him. I mean, I basically have killed him, by giving him this sentence," I add quickly.

I don't deserve to be viewed any positive light by her. I still tortured Kayn, and then regretted not killing him myself for months afterward.

"Is it bad that I always figured you had killed him?" She ventures, tucking her hair behind her ear.

I shake my head. "No, it just means you know me."

"What made you change your mind?"

"He was lying before me, beaten within an inch of his life and I thought about ending it. Then I thought of you, and how I didn't want to return home with his blood on my hands like that." I swallow hard, feeling dryness gathering in my throat. "So I picked him up and ordered his death in a more humane manner."

Coming home to her after taking his life, then laying my hands on her skin felt like it would be wrong, that I would feel dirty and evil.

She raises both brows. "After you tortured him?"

I shrug. "Just a little."

"You're terrible." She shoves at my shoulder, although I spy the slight curve to the corners of her mouth. "I need to stop getting distracted. My point is, Lexa told me he has been moved to another prison."

I frown. That doesn't sound right.

"Another prison? He's in the only one that does executions. It's the highest security," I explain. "He shouldn't have been moved."

Even if he had been moved, I gave strict instructions to the warden to tell me about his wellbeing, including if he had to be relocated. If Kayn isn't there anymore, I should know about it.

"Apparently he has."

"Where is he now, then?" I question.

"She doesn't know. All she knows is that the guards found his cell door open and he wasn't in it. It's been assumed that he has been moved." She plays with a loose thread of the duvet.

A cold feeling of unease blooms in my stomach. If Kayn isn't in his cell, and the warden hasn't come to me with news means they are scrambling to make sense of what has happened before news gets to me.

Which means there is a good chance Kayn has escaped.

"That seems unlikely," I tell Sienna anyway, not wanting to send her spiralling into worry. "I'll call for a guard to go check soon."

Finding Kayn is another task I have to add to the list. It will remain my priority though, especially if he is intending on taking revenge against me or Sienna.

"Do you think he escaped?" She asks warily, wrapping her arms around herself at the thought.

"If he has, I don't like that possibility," I admit, trying not to think about Kayn returning to hurt Sienna.

The only benefit of this is that I can hurt him all over again. And this time, I'll take a lot longer and enjoy it far more.

Worry weaves into her expression as she looks up at me with wide eyes. "Onyx..."

I reach up to cradle "Hey, don't panic yet. If he has managed to escape, he will be long gone by now. He won't be coming for you. He has no reason to."

It feels wrong to try assuage her fears when mine aren't, but she has enough to worry about. I'll deal with Kayn myself, and make sure he doesn't have to cross her mind again.

She leans into my hand, her gaze drifting off. "Other than revenge..."

"Let's check with the guards before we start panicking, okay?"

She nods numbly. "I'll try."

"That's my girl." I pull back. "For now though, try not to leave this estate without guards. I want to be sure you're safe."

They've been keeping a special eye on her already, but I haven't wanted them to crowd her. I'm trying to keep her life as normal as possible, wanting to enjoy our first few weeks of husband and wife.

"I won't leave, don't worry." She pulls a face, the tonight's incident rising back up to haunt her.

"Alex departed too, so Christian doesn't have a reasonable excuse to be lingering," I tell her, hoping to give her mind some rest. "Stay close to my guards though, if you can."

"Doesn't seem like there are many places I can go." She sighs wistfully, looking toward the bedroom window, even though all that can be seen outside is darkness.

"It won't be forever." Once I find Kayn, I'll take Sienna back to the beach house for a bit so she can relax. "I'll keep you distracted, don't worry."

She smiles, sitting up a little, her interest piqued.

If she is feeling up to it, I'll try cast away the dark thoughts for tonight. I'll stay up all night giving her pleasure if she needs me to, and I'll be more than happy to do it.

"I suppose it won't be so bad as long as long as I'm in your bed." She flops back onto it, stretching her body out.

I lean over her, kissing her chastely on the lips.

"I'll go speak to the guards, and you rest that hand," I murmur against her mouth. "I'll be thinking of positions I can put you in that won't cause you any pain."

"I'm sure we will manage."

Pulling away, I wince at the effort. Unfortunately, I need to let the guards know about Kayn so they can start the investigation.

Thankfully, it should only take me a few minutes before I can return to my mate.

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