Chapter 58: Tainted Lands

CONNOR

The rogue’s body next to me shifted back into human form. His eyes lost their life and his breath stopped.

“Are the pack members safe?” I asked, shifting back.

“Yeah, Jyn messaged that Elaine, Yuki, and some warriors are checking out the pack. Looks like we might have more company than we thought,” Regulus answered, wiping his hand on his pants.

“This could be a setup, Connor.”

“I know,” I said, scanning our surroundings. Six rogues were still battling with pack members. They were in a formation, like they’d been ordered to stay that way.

“We’ve got backup.” Regulus nodded in a direction. I turned and saw Yuki coming our way.

“Shouldn’t you be with Elaine?” I asked. He shook his head and shifted back.

His gear and hair were splattered with blood.

“She’s okay. We caught a few who were hiding,” he said, greeting Regulus. Blaze joined us with some other pack members.

“Should we capture them and take them to our prisons?” Blaze asked.

“No need. We’ve already caught a few,” Yuki answered. “Unless you want one of them?”

I looked at the three remaining rogues. One seemed to be getting protection from the other two.

“Capture him,” I ordered, pointing to the middle wolf. Yuki and Regulus left with the others.

I turned back to the castle. The clouds were ominous, like they were warning of something bad. Suddenly, a cry made me snap to attention.

Regulus was on the ground, a deep wound gushing blood.

I growled and looked up, but someone tackled me out of the way as a dagger whizzed past.

“Damn it,” Yuki muttered next to me. I quickly scanned the area and saw seven hunters with a new group of lycans.

“What’s going on?” I asked. We didn’t have time to figure it out, the hunters started shooting.

~“Don’t shift!”~ I mind-linked. ~“Use your weapons, and let’s form a defense.”~

Everyone gathered around me, shifted into their human forms, and with weapons ready, we moved forward. We blocked the attacks and captured a few hunters who had broken formation.

As long as we got rid of their weapons, they were easy to take down.

“Mind-link Jyn and tell him to send more pack members,” I told Regulus. He nodded and went back to the fight.

I pushed through the group, reaching for my dagger to stab a lone hunter. Suddenly, I was thrown down. Someone punched me in the stomach, but I quickly flipped us over.

Straddling him, I pressed my dagger to his throat.

“Connor Reed,” he smirked. “Nice to meet you.”

“The feeling’s not mutual,” I growled. He didn’t flinch or try to attack. Instead, he calmly raised his hands.

“I’d be careful if I were you. Don’t get distracted and forget who the real threat is,” he said, smiling.

A noise behind me made me jump out of the way as an arrow flew past, hitting the man on the ground.

His eyes rolled back as I crouched and growled at the intruder.

“Darian,” I muttered. He lowered his bow and looked around. “Shouldn’t you be in the guest house, or did you escape?”

“Elaine sent me here,” he answered, shooting another arrow. “She’s in the woods with Sorin.”

I tensed at my brother’s name.

“Take me to her,” I demanded, but he shook his head. “Then tell me, where is she?”

Darian stepped closer. His eyes flickered between black and green. Khan, in my mind, was restless. I didn’t know why, but I felt the same way.

“Elaine needs you here,” Darian said, moving to attack the hunter. I watched him, trying to stay calm.

He was helping us, so that had to be good. But something in the back of my mind was screaming that something wasn’t right.

Hearing my name, I turned around, and something sharp seared my back.

I spun around in pain and pulled out the dagger. I staggered as my back burned. It was silver.

“You bastard!” I hissed, feeling dizzy.

“I didn’t want to, but I had no choice,” Darian said, looking shocked. I lunged at him. That’s when I saw the deformity on his face, and he shifted.

The jerk had attacked me when I was weak. The silver’s poison was preventing my wound from healing.

I quickly pulled out a dagger and stabbed at him, but he jumped away and shifted back.

“I promised her I’d help her. I even told her I wouldn’t betray her, but I couldn’t. Family comes first.”

“We should never have trusted you!” I growled and shifted. Darian smirked and shifted too.

We rolled around on the ground. The others backed away, leaving us alone.

Khan bit down and Darian cried out in pain. I bit his thigh again, tearing muscle. But he didn’t stop, he attacked. It was like he was being controlled.

~“You traitor, I’ll kill you!”~ I mind-linked, but he didn’t respond. We clashed again, teeth and claws tearing at each other.

If Elaine found out, she’d be hurt. She trusted him, even if she didn’t say it. She saved him so he could be free. But he was a traitor all along.

He crashed into me, and I slid until my back hit a tree. The sounds of crashing and growling filled the air.

I shook my head, shaking off the broken branches. As I got up, a shot echoed around us, and I fell to my knees.

I gritted my teeth, clutching the wound in my stomach. Silver bullets.

Darian stood a few feet away, a rifle in his hands. He tossed it aside and approached me, reaching for my head.

Pain shot through me. Blood pooled around us. I was losing blood, and quickly.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Darian said, his eyes wide. “It had to be this way. We ~need~ her to come back.”

“You need Elaine?” I asked, my brow furrowing. “You want to split us up?”

Suddenly, it all made sense. His pretense of joining us, helping us fight Enora—it was all a lie. A lie designed to betray us and deliver her to Sorin and Enora.

“She won’t go, not unless she’s forced.”

“Oh, she will. When Sorin tells her how ~I~ killed you, she won’t have a choice but to return. Your death will break her,” Darian said, a smirk playing on his lips.

“And with that kind of pain, she’ll have no choice but to come willingly.”

“You’re insane!” I spat, my claws extending. I slashed him across his face, and Darian snarled.

His face healed quickly, while I continued to bleed out. Khan was weakening, which was a bad sign.

Just as Darian lunged to attack, someone appeared and tackled him. They both tumbled down a small slope. I forced myself to stand, clutching my stomach.

The wolf that had attacked him was Yuki. He had Darian pinned and was biting into his stomach.

Darian squirmed beneath him, trying to force Yuki to release him.

I started to move, but Regulus appeared at my side. His face was bloody, dark bruises marring his skin, especially under his eye.

“Don’t. Let Yuki handle him.” I was about to argue when a howl made us both turn.

Yuki’s wolf lay on the ground, shaking, a massive hole visible in his chest.

My eyes widened, and I snarled, shifting and sinking my teeth into Darian’s shoulder.

We rolled to the side, and he pulled away from my teeth with a terrible cry.

I expected him to stop, but he was stronger than he looked.

~“You’re going to die today,”~ I said through the mind-link. He only laughed and stood watching me.

The wind whistled between us, and then thunder cracked in the sky. We both leapt, aiming for each other’s throats. But he was faster and got me.

My eyes widened as I felt him biting into my neck. Khan quickly retreated back into my mind, causing me to lose the little strength I had left.

Darian tore savagely, but what I felt wasn’t the approach of death. It was something far worse.

I screamed as I shifted back to my human form. With one final, brutal yank, Darian jumped back, letting me fall to my knees.

My body curled as I felt the warmth of my blood flowing from my neck. I reached for the wound and tried to cover it, but it was too large to stop the bleeding.

“I told you,” Darian whispered, stepping closer. He looked at me with disgust. “I’m going to separate you two.”

The searing pain doubled me over, curling my body into a fetal position. I tried to hold back a cry as pain and emptiness filled me.

“What have you done?” Regulus shouted, but he was being held by three hunters, a rifle pressed to his head as they forced him to his knees.

I tried to speak, but no sound came out. Fear crept into me as I stared at him, who only laughed.

“You thought I was going to kill you? No, what I did was far worse, something my grandmother will be delighted to hear.”

“Don’t listen to him, Connor!” Regulus yelled. I tried to sit up, but a wave of pain swept through me, sending me back to the ground.

Tears stung my eyes as Khan thrashed in my mind. My body shook as cold sweat broke out on my back. The sensation was overwhelming, sending every nerve into a frenzy.

“You know what’s worse than dying?” Darian asked, pressing his boot hard against my stomach. “You don’t? Let me tell you, since I’ve experienced it too.”

He crouched down and yanked my hair. My mind spun as my vision blurred.

“Having your bond ripped from you. Feeling that connection shatter until all you feel is emptiness. All the emotions, the love, destroyed.”

He let go of my head, and it hit the ground hard.

“I know what you’re going through,” he chuckled, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “I suffered the same way, and now I feel perfect.”

Regulus was screaming behind me, but my body was shutting down, slowly.

“Oh, and one more thing. When you wake up, there will be a little surprise waiting for you.”

***

My eyes snapped open at the sight of shadows moving around me. Soft voices whispered as I lay there, feeling incredibly sick.

“Connor?” someone called. It was Jyn, his face pale in the dim light of the room. “Finally. You had us worried.”

Blaze and Regulus appeared behind him. Relief washed over their faces as they greeted me.

I tried to speak, to say anything, but no sound came out. I moved my mouth again, and still, nothing.

Wincing, I reached for my neck. A thick bandage was wrapped around it.

“Connor,” Jyn said, glancing at his brothers.

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Jyn took my hands.

“Elaine is okay,” he reassured me. “She’s sleeping in the next room.”

I tried to get up, needing to see her, to touch her and tell her how much I loved her. Jyn quickly placed his hands on my shoulders, pushing me back down, shaking his head.

“Listen, Connor,” he said, a worried crease in his brow. He looked back, pulled a stool over, and sat down.

I watched him as he fumbled with his hands.

~“How long have I been out?”~ I mind-linked. Khan was eerily silent in my mind.

Surprised, Jyn looked up.

“Five days. They were agonizing, especially since you were so badly injured, and we didn’t know if you would survive,” he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes.

~“How did I make it?”~ I wondered aloud.

“Healers,” Jyn replied. “We brought some from the temple, and Yuki’s healers came too. You were badly hurt, especially your neck.”

I instinctively touched it. The wound throbbed, and my throat felt thick and painful.

“You lost your voice.” Jyn’s voice was thick with regret as I met his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t need to elaborate. I could feel it.

~“Did…,”~ I whispered in his mind.

“Darian tore out your vocal cords and the mating mark.”

I looked away. The void was there, a constant reminder that I no longer belonged to Elaine.

~“I want to see Elaine,”~ I said, locking eyes with him. Jyn shook his head.

“You need to rest first. Then you can see her. And don’t worry, she’s okay, just really tired.” Jyn tried to smile.

I didn’t smile back. Instead, I looked at the others. Regulus, Blaze, who gave a small wave, and two temple healers huddled in a corner of the room, whispering among themselves.

I turned my attention back to Jyn, who was watching me. His eyes were filled with worry.

~“What happened to Darian and the others?”~ I asked. Jyn swallowed hard.

He glanced at the others, who took their leave. The door to the room closed quietly behind them.

“Darian got away,” Jyn said, turning back to me. “Sorin… Elaine killed him.”

I sat up in shock.

“Please, calm down,” Jyn pleaded as he stood. “Let me explain.”

~“What do you mean, Sorin is dead?”~ I asked. ~“He was with her?”~

“We knew it was a trap,” Jyn said, sounding worn out. “You knew something was off the moment they showed up, and Elaine was right. The only mistake was trusting Darian.”

~“So how?”~ I asked, desperate for answers. Jyn sat back down.

“When we went to help you, Darian had fled with two hunters who survived. They injured Yuki in his chest.

“He barely survived, and, well, Blaze broke his arm, and the other pack members were hurt too. But no one died.”

He sighed. “After we got you help, we went to find Elaine. We had to track her, since she was outside pack territory, and the scene we found was horrifying.”

I frowned.

~“What do you mean?”~ I asked, curiosity piqued. Jyn leaned on the bed, his arms draped over and shaking.

“Sorin was torn to pieces. He was unrecognizable.” He cleared his throat. “The only thing left was his head, twisted in terror.

“We don’t know what happened, but we found Elaine unconscious nearby with minor wounds that had somehow healed on the way back to the pack. Your mother cleaned up what was left of Sorin.”

I swallowed hard as I listened to him.

My mother wanted Sorin dead, that much was clear, but I couldn’t begin to understand how she felt when she saw him.

“Whoever killed him was brutal. They showed no mercy.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Connor, if Elaine did that by herself, then something similar to the day she woke up happened.

“Remember back at Enora’s pack? How she behaved? Something like that happened, and we won’t know until she wakes up.”

I nodded, closing my eyes and trying to connect with her. I couldn’t feel anything.

Opening my eyes again, I saw my arm raised. The bracelet that symbolized our bond was completely tarnished, with no trace of the once shining bracelet.

I let my arm fall to the side. Exhausted, I closed my eyes, surrendering to my nightmares.

“You sure you’re feeling better?” Regulus asked, arms crossed over his chest. “You should rest another day.”

~“I’m fine,”~ I replied coldly. Regulus sighed and stepped back.

As I buttoned up my shirt, I reached for my jacket, and a hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around. Yuki was smiling at me.

“Welcome back, survivor,” he said, patting me lightly. “Can we talk before you visit Elaine?”

I nodded and put on my jacket. I followed Yuki out of the garden, and we stopped near a bench. He sat down and gestured for me to join him.

“I know you’re anxious to see Elaine, but I need you to listen. When Elaine wakes up, she’s going to feel guilty about everything. And I don’t want her to feel that way.

“Neither of you should feel guilty.”

I hung my head.

“Elaine might tell you she’s okay, but you know she won’t be. She’ll blame herself for what happened to you, so don’t let her feel that way.”

~“I already feel guilty,”~ I admitted. ~“I couldn’t protect her.”~

“It’s not your fault. We should never have trusted him.”

I stayed silent, staring into the distance.

~“Elaine will want revenge,”~ I sighed. ~“She’ll hunt Darian down until he’s dead. But I won’t let her. It’s my responsibility.”~

He nodded tiredly. Rubbing his hands over his thighs, he stood.

Signs of bandages peeked out from under his clothes. There were small fading purple bruises on his arms and face as well.

~“I won’t let Elaine suffer.”~ I stood up. ~“And losing my voice won’t stop me from getting my revenge.”~

“What about the bond?” Yuki asked as the wind rustled the surrounding trees. “She…”

~“I still love her,”~ I said, my voice tight. ~“The mating mark might not bind us, but my love for her will always be there.~

~“I love her more than anything, and nothing will stop me from loving her.”~

***

The door to the room clicked shut without a sound. Sunlight streamed in, warming the space. Elaine was asleep, her body dotted with bruises against her pale skin.

I should have felt something, but all I was left with was emptiness.

I closed my eyes, my hands clenched at my sides. If she told me she didn’t want me anymore, I didn’t know what I’d do.

Loving her was all I had left. Without the mark, our bond couldn’t be strengthened, but I didn’t care. I knew both Khan and I loved her in a way we could never forget.

I took a seat by the bed, watching her sleep. Her chest rose and fell gently, the curtains fluttering in the breeze.

She must have sensed me, because she began to stir. I watched quietly as her blue eyes fluttered open.

For a moment, I wished I could mind-link her, pull her into my lap and hold her. But I knew things could be different now that our bond was gone.

With my arms crossed, I waited for her to react. And she did. Her face turned ghostly pale as she stumbled forward and hugged me.

I wanted to touch her, to feel her against me. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, not until I saw her eyes welling up with tears.

Slowly, I let my hands drift over her trembling body.

“Talk to me,” she pleaded, her voice laced with panic.

I closed my eyes and let it all out. A sob caught in her throat as I pulled her against my chest.

She was a mess, crying and blaming herself. I tried to soothe her with words I couldn’t find anymore. But it didn’t work.

Things got so bad that she fainted in my arms. I quickly mind-linked Jyn, who arrived with two healers.

They asked us to wait outside while they tended to Elaine. Jyn muttered something under his breath as he paced the hallway. I stood by the window, looking out at the pack.

“I knew she would get bad!” Jyn choked out. “This is too much for her. In her state, she can’t handle this.”

~“Enough, Jyn,”~ I commanded, but he just shook his head.

“I can’t be calm, not when she’s like this!” he yelled. A few passing warriors stared at their king.

“You don’t know how much I want to protect her, to stop her suffering, but all she gets is pain.”

~“Jyn, she’s not the only one suffering,”~ I hissed. ~“You think I’m not suffering? You should have seen her face, the way she looked at me. It broke me.”~

I looked away, exhausted. The door to the room opened, and the healer stepped out, a small towel in his hand.

“How is she?” Jyn asked, his gaze flicking between us.

“She’s just shocked. With everything that’s happening, she needs rest,” he answered. “You should take things easy, for her health.”

I nodded, knowing his words were meant more for me than Jyn. We thanked him and watched as he left.

I turned, my arms crossed, and stared out the window.

~“What about Enora?”~ I asked. ~“Has she sent any word?”~

Jyn stood beside me, also looking out at the pack.

“She’s quiet. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but no one from her pack has left their lands,” Jyn said, turning to face me. “What can we do?”

I looked into his eyes, seeing a whirlwind of emotions. Even resentment, sadness, and guilt.

Slowly, I looked away.

~“Elaine needs to decide,”~ I answered.

***

“Calm down, Elaine,” Yuki said, standing in front of me.

Elaine had woken up a while ago. Her first word was my name. She seemed desperate, and I felt compelled to go to her, which was exactly what the healers didn’t want.

Right now she was clinging to me, crying just as desperately as before. I rubbed her back as Yuki watched us, his lips pressed into a thin line.

I knew he felt guilty too. Everyone did, but no one was to blame. The only one at fault was Darian, who would soon meet his end.

I picked her up and walked towards the bed. She didn’t let go, so I sat down with her in my arms.

My body still ached, but having her close made me feel better. It also calmed Khan, knowing she still loved us without the bond.

She sniffled, slowly pulling away to wipe her nose. Her eyes were red from all the crying.

~“Please stop crying,”~ I pleaded, brushing a strand of hair from her face. ~“I can’t bear to see you like this. It’s tearing me apart.”~

She sniffled again but didn’t say anything. I caressed her cheek, feeling the cold trail of dried tears on her pale skin. She seemed so fragile. I felt like if I touched her any more, I would hurt her.

But who was I kidding? Elaine could cry her eyes out, but she would never break.

She was strong enough to hold both of us together in these circumstances. All she needed was a little time, and to let it all out.

I leaned in for a kiss, and she gave me a small smile in return.

~“Better, or should I kiss you more?”~

She chuckled and wiped her face. Yuki sighed behind us.

“I’ll order something for you guys to eat. You both need to eat if you want to feel better. The wounds won’t heal on their own,” he said, turning to leave.

With a smile, I turned back to Elaine, who was staring at my neck.

~“Elaine…,”~ I whispered in her mind. Slowly, she closed her eyes, fresh tears streaming down her face.

I leaned over and kissed each tear away.

~“Please stop blaming yourself,”~ I said, trying to offer some comfort. ~“It’s no one’s fault.”~

“No one’s fault?” she choked out, her hands curling into fists. “I… that bastard!”

I reached for her, but she pulled away from me. With shaky steps, she moved away from the bed.

“You know, I was convinced you were dead that day. The pain I felt was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. It was as if someone was ripping my heart, my soul, right out of me.”

She turned to me, her nose and eyes red from crying. “I put my trust in someone I never thought would betray me. But he did, and it’s all my fault…”

~“No, it’s not!”~ I jumped to my feet. ~“He fought dirty and hurt me. I was weak, and I tried, but there was nothing I could do!”~

Elaine wiped her face.

“There is something we can do,” she said, her voice filled with determination. “I’m going to kill him, and his grandmother too.

“I’m going to burn them alive, along with every single thing that belonged to them. And when it’s all over, I’m going to make that place my home.”

~“Elaine, what are you saying?”~ I whispered, a chill running down my spine.

There was something different about Elaine, just like Jyn had said. I thought it was Khan’s spirit in her, but it wasn’t. There was something darker lurking within her.

“I’m going to be the queen of the lycans, Connor. And I need you to stand by me, because this isn’t just my fight anymore. It’s ~ours~, and we ~will~ spill blood.”