The Unspoken Plan

Mandalay remained silent for the rest of his shift, his gaze never straying far from her. Lilitha kept her hand on her belly, drawing his attention as much as she could. Everything hinged on his loyalty.

After he had killed her father. After she had killed her father. Lilitha clenched her jaw.

The midwife returned to her seat. Mandalay switched shifts, his eyes filled with doubt and warning as they lingered on her.

The night midwife, a younger woman, took the place of the morning midwife. Her hands nervously twisted in her lap.

Lilitha hoped to see Mandalay the next day, but her heart sank when her usual guard appeared. He nodded at the midwife and took his position.

Throughout the day, Lilitha did her best to hide her anxiety. She wanted to pace the small cell, to run her fingers through her hair, to keep glancing at the door.

But she couldn’t risk arousing suspicion.

Time seemed to crawl. It felt like an eternity.

***

He didn’t show up for the night shift. The midwives switched again. The older midwife didn’t get a chance to rest, her head slumped against the back of her chair as she snored.

What if Lilitha went into labor before he arrived? The thought was unbearable.

The night passed without incident. The baby kicked but remained safely inside. Mandalay showed up the next morning.

The guard left and the midwives switched. Lilitha watched him from the corner of her eye. The firelight reflected off his sword, his eyes, and his belt buckle.

He looked a bit flushed and stiff, but his expression was unreadable.

The day dragged on as Lilitha waited, her back pressed against the bars. The guards brought her food as usual. Her eyes darted to Mandalay as he unlocked the door.

Lilitha backed away as she was supposed to.

Then they were alone again.

As the day wore on, Mandalay’s tension became more apparent. Lilitha couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t rest. She hadn’t eaten.

Something was about to happen. This was it.

It happened just before the guard change.

“Midwife,” he said. The girl turned.

“I need you to come with me. There’s something you need to see.”

She stood, her hands folded behind her back. “What is it?”

“Just come,” he said, gesturing her over. “I need a woman’s opinion.”

The midwife followed Mandalay into the next room. Lilitha held her breath. Her heart skipped a beat at a small squeal.

There was a muffled thud. For several minutes, she heard nothing, her heart pounding like a drum. Finally, Mandalay reappeared, carrying a bundle in his arms.

At first, Lilitha thought it was the midwife, but it was just a pile of clothes—the midwife’s clothes.

He unlocked the cell, and Lilitha quickly changed. The tunic couldn’t contain her swollen belly, but the skirts were stretchy.

Mandalay didn’t say a word. His back was straight as he picked up her clothes and hid them under the bedding.

Lilitha was adjusting her wimple when she saw him carrying the midwife into the cell. She was pale, her lips blue. Her head was twisted at an odd angle.

He tucked her under the blankets, making it look like Lilitha was sleeping. He left and locked the door, slipping the keys into his pocket.

Lilitha sat in the seat, her wimple pulled over her head, her arms covering her belly as Mandalay leaned against the wall.

~This isn’t going to work. The old lady will know!~

Just as she thought this, the guard arrived to switch with Mandalay. Lilitha kept her head low, her wimple pulled over her face.

Shortly after, the midwife arrived. Heart pounding, Lilitha stood and turned aside, shielding her face and body before the midwife could see, relying on the dim light and the woman’s disinterest and poor eyesight.

Mandalay watched closely, his hand on his sword, ready to kill the old woman and the guard if necessary. The midwife didn’t even look at her, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

She said nothing as she slumped into the seat with a grunt.

The guard nodded at Mandalay. Mandalay left first. Lilitha followed.

Lilitha’s heart was racing. She couldn’t believe it. Had that just worked? Mandalay’s footsteps echoed on the stairs.

He climbed slowly so she could keep up. Lilitha’s heart pounded so hard she could feel the blood pulsing in her temples. Near the top, Mandalay stopped.

“Take a moment to catch your breath,” he advised.

Lilitha nodded as she panted, bending over her knees. There was a pain deep in her pelvis, near her backside. Her baby hadn’t moved much in the past twelve hours.

Her heart raced even faster.

They needed to get moving.

Finally, she straightened up, breathing hard between pursed lips. Mandalay held out a cloak. She took it.

He helped her put it on, then put on his own. Lilitha kept it loose around her belly and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Stay hidden,” he said, stating the obvious.

They turned the corner. Another guard was waiting in the dim torchlight. Lilitha kept her eyes on her feet, hiding her face, but she caught a glimpse of his twinkling gaze as he studied them briefly.

He seemed relaxed, like he’d done this a thousand times before. Mandalay murmured something, and the door creaked open.

They stepped outside into the garden. More guards. A quiet greeting from Mandalay. More quiet greetings in return.

There was some quiet laughter as the men made a crude joke about Mandalay and “his” midwife. Then they were walking through the garden.

Lilitha kept her eyes on her feet, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as if she were cold, hiding her belly. The moon shone brightly.

The leaves of the fruit trees rustled in the breeze. Lilitha inhaled their scent, as if she were breathing in life itself. Even in her cloak, the breeze felt wonderful. The openness. The smells.

Lilitha stopped when she caught a familiar scent: acrid, poignant, horrifying. Her mouth went dry, recognizing it. Knowing it all too well.

She gripped Mandalay’s arm as she looked up.

He was suspended from one of the steeples, completely bare. His face was hidden from her view. She couldn’t see the remnants of his horns.

~Thank God~. Lilitha swallowed the scream that was fighting its way up her throat. Her body began to tremble. Her knees weakened.

But Mandalay was there, his arm around her waist, holding her up and pressing her to his side.

Her heart was erratic. Why? Why would they do this? ~Your horns and tails are worth a chest of silver, but the alpha’s is worth the same in gold.~

He was a lure. A lure to draw in Mateus and Damon. To provoke their anger so they’d seek vengeance.

Sir Gavron knew them too well. She was surprised Damon hadn’t already tried tearing the place down.

As they neared the gate, Lilitha clung to Mandalay’s hand, her ears ringing, her mind filled with the image of her father’s mutilated body, tears of anger and sorrow and despair welling up in her throat. Mandalay paused to whisper to the guards.

Lilitha kept her head down. A tear fell onto her shoes.

Then the gate swung open and they were inside.

She looked around the square in disbelief. It was deserted. They were out.

She was ~free~.

“Let’s go,” Mandalay said quietly. “We’re not done yet.”

She dared to look back, but her father was hidden behind the tall fence. She could still smell him, though.

She could smell him as if he was standing right in front of her. She ~wished~ he was standing right in front of her.

Mandalay led her across the square. Immediately, Lilitha’s eyes scanned the shadows. The scent of her father’s blood was heavy in the air, but the alphas’ scents were stronger.

Damon smelled like rain. Mateus smelled like earth. Together, they smelled like mud.

A twinge between her hips was followed by a sensation that made her heart pound and blood rush to her nipples.

She couldn’t pinpoint their exact location, Silus’s blood making it hard to orient herself. She thought she saw movement.

Lilitha turned her head and put a finger to her lips.

~Not here. Not here.~

~Wait. Wait. For the love of God, ~wait~.~

Maybe they saw. Maybe they figured it out on their own. Either way, Mandalay managed to lift her onto the waiting Agaroth without incident.

He climbed up behind her. Lilitha discreetly surveyed her surroundings but saw nothing.

Her ears were alert, but she heard nothing except a dog barking and the distant sound of wheels on pavement.

With a snap of the reins, they were off.

Mandalay maintained a quick but steady pace. He was rigid against her back, on the lookout for danger.

He had no idea.

Ninety-seven.

Lilitha’s heart was racing with hope, with anticipation, with desperation. They shouldn’t be here, but she was grateful they were.

The two alphas’ scents intertwined, as if they were crossing each other’s paths. Silus’s scent faded into the distance, and Lilitha was suddenly overcome with a profound sadness.

As terrible as it was, it would be the last time she would ever smell him.

She held onto her necklace.

Mandalay began to relax. It was late and few people were out in this part of the city. The street lamps were lit.

A cat was making noise in some trash cans. Two men were walking quickly, heads down, hands in their pockets.

They were cloaked and hooded, and it made Lilitha’s heart skip a beat.

Mandalay breathed on the back of her neck. “We’ll have to travel through the night,” he said. “Hopefully, they won’t discover what’s happened for many hours yet.”

“Where are we going?”

“A distant part of the city. Away from the chaos.”

“I can’t believe you killed her.” Her voice was sharp with accusation.

“What choice did I have?” he said gruffly, hands tightening around the reins. “How about you thank me?”

“Thank you?” Lilitha couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing. “Thank you for what?”

She felt Mandalay stiffen. She heard him catch his breath.

She turned to look at him, raising her voice so the alphas could hear, “You brought the Southerners here. You destroyed everything. You murdered my father. That’s right, my ~father~. It’s all your fault.”

Mandalay’s face was pale as he met her angry gaze. Lilitha’s heart jumped at the sound of heavy footsteps.

He pulled his horse to a stop. “What was that?” He looked around quickly.

“How did you think you would escape?” Lilitha hissed. “My alphas are always with me. ~Always~ watching. And they will defend me to the death.”

Mandalay looked at her in surprise. He jerked and looked around again.

She saw it too: a figure slipping between the buildings. Lilitha lifted her nose, but their scents were too mixed to determine who it was.

“You’re going to die tonight, Mandalay. You’re going to ~die~.” And she laughed.

Fueled by the anger of her father’s death, by the growing darkness in her heart, she laughed and she ~laughed~, her voice echoing down the street.

“Shut up!”

He slapped her, and her laughter stopped abruptly. Lilitha touched her stinging cheek with a smirk.

Sensing the alphas, the horse backed away, rearing on its hind legs. Mandalay yanked at the reins.

He kept twisting in the saddle, trying to see, eyes squinting against the darkness. Lilitha could see just fine, her eyes piercing the shadows in a way Mandalay’s could not.

Damon was ready, eyes shining.

The horse reared again. Mandalay snapped the reins. Lilitha was thrown backward as the horse bolted forward.

She looked over her shoulder in despair as they sped down the street, the sound of Agaroth’s hooves echoing off the buildings. The alphas were fast, but they weren’t going to outrun a horse.

It was up to Lilitha.

Lilitha grabbed Mandalay’s wrists, digging her nails in until Mandalay cried out. Then she turned and bit hard into his upper arm.

Mandalay yelled. He pulled at the reins. The horse reared with a scream.

Lilitha held onto the pommel. Somehow, they both stayed on the horse, though Lilitha was at an awkward angle and slowly sliding out of the saddle.

She held on to him with a fierce determination, her teeth sinking into his flesh. She tasted the fabric of his clothes, the saltiness of his sweat, and then the metallic tang of blood.

Mandalay let out a scream as she bit down harder. He tried to pry her off, but his efforts only made her grip stronger.

She heard the sound of running footsteps and distant shouting. Then, a familiar roar echoed through the air, filling her heart with hope.

The screams intensified, followed by more footsteps. Mandalay fought back with all his strength, finally managing to break free from Lilitha’s relentless bite.

In his struggle, he nearly fell off his horse.

The horse reared, causing Lilitha to slide further from the saddle. Mandalay whipped the reins, and the ground rushed toward her. But before she could hit the pavement, she felt hands on her.

Hands she recognized. Warm, large hands that lifted her away from danger.

The horse was in a frenzy, its hooves clattering against the pavement. Mandalay’s screams filled the air, followed by a heavy thud and the fading sound of galloping hooves.

Lilitha looked up at her savior, whispering his name. “Mateus,” she gently touched his stubbled face.

Suddenly, everything else faded away. The noise, the chaos, the city, the past few horrific days.

It was as if she was back in the forest. Mateus’s eyes sparkled. His hood had fallen back, revealing his horns that glowed blue under the moonlight. His ~horns~.

A sharp pain shot through her chest, and she choked back tears.

“Lilitha,” Damon’s voice echoed in the silence.

She jerked her head up, and Mateus turned around. The sounds of the city returned, and the illusion of the forest disappeared.

Damon stood in the middle of the street, his foot pressing down on a struggling figure. Lilitha pulled away from Mateus, who helped her stand.

Damon was glaring at Mandalay, who was gasping for air, his face twisted in pain.

Damon’s eyes were filled with rage, and something more. The grief, the disbelief, the horror of Silus’s death was etched on his face.

Damon was always an open book of emotions. His gaze met hers, and she knew it was her turn.

Mandalay looked up at her, his face swollen and lips pursed. There were so many things she could have said, so many things she ~wanted~ to say.

But she was too exhausted, too drained to form words. It felt as if someone had scrubbed her clean from the inside, washing away all her feelings.

“I just want this over,” she said.

Her words weren’t filled with the satisfaction Damon might have expected. She felt a small relief knowing that Mandalay was finally out of her life, that he couldn’t hurt her or the clan anymore.

Lilitha crouched beside him while Damon pinned his thrashing arms to the ground. His legs kicked out in desperation.

She bit into his side, making sure he felt the pain she was feeling. He screamed and writhed beneath her.

She looked into his eyes as she tasted his flesh, his blood dribbling down her chin. She bared her teeth at him, then bit him again.

He cried out for mercy, for God, and then he was sobbing, apologizing, saying her name.

She looked up at Damon, who lifted his foot off Mandalay’s throat. She lunged at him, sinking her teeth deep into his throat.

With a swift jerk of her head, she tore a chunk of flesh away. Blood spurted out, and Mandalay gurgled.

She swallowed, wiping her mouth, and watched him die.

She was panting, her body numb. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn’t feel her heart beating.

Damon’s hand was on her shoulder, urging her to get up. He helped her stand, and she looked around.

The street was deserted. She vaguely remembered hearing footsteps and shouts, and seeing terrified faces. But they were all gone now.

Not for long.

Mateus grabbed her arm. “Lilitha. ~Lilitha~,” he said.

She looked at him, then back at Mandalay. His eyes were half-closed, blood pooling around him.

His blond hair was matted with blood. He smelled terrible, yet strangely enticing.

“Come on,” Mateus said gently, taking her wrist.

She stumbled alongside him, Damon following behind. She was out of breath, weak, and her body felt heavy.

Mateus scooped her up, and they started running. The buildings blurred past them.

She thought she heard screams, but it could have been the wind in her ears. Their footsteps echoed like thunder.

The full moon looked eerily beautiful atop Mateus’s horns.

They ran until the city was far behind them, replaced by open fields, farms, and then bushes. She didn’t realize she was crying until the cold air froze the tears on her cloak.

They entered the forest, and her sobs became uncontrollable. The smell of the forest, the freedom it offered, felt like heaven after the city, the dungeon, Silus, and Mandalay.

She was in heaven.

She caught a whiff of Carmella’s scent mingling with the musk of the two alphas. She saw Carmella’s worried face as she ran alongside them.

They kept running, the moonlight filtering through the trees. Mateus’s breaths were becoming labored.

“Put me down,” Lilitha said.

Mateus slowed down, and the clan stopped. He gently set her down.

She looked at them, their faces spinning around her. She looked up at the trees, then back the way they’d come.

She was still crying, silent tears streaming down her face. Her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground.

Someone touched her shoulder, but she shrugged them off.

Suddenly, she was lost in a sea of screams. Her voice echoed around her, bouncing off the three Diablons who had given her space.

Lilitha’s hands clenched into the earth beneath her, her body racked with sobs, screams, snarls, and growls. She was a tempest of emotion, raw and unfiltered.

Then she was sick. Once, then again. Her vomit was a vivid Mandalay, red and clotted and thick.

For a fleeting moment, it brought her a strange sense of pleasure. A perverse, twisted pleasure that was as unexpected as it was intense.

But then, the grief returned. It washed over her like a tidal wave, pulling her under its crushing weight.

She sank onto her hip, rolling onto her back and covering her face as the sobs clawed their way up her throat. She hid her eyes, not wanting to see the others.

Not wanting to see their blame, their tears, their own anguish.

In a fit of despair, she began to slam her elbows into the ground. Her face contorted in pain as she let out another round of screams.

Her body was a battlefield, and she was losing the war.

And then, just like that, she went silent. Her arms and legs sprawled out around her, her body still.

She lay there, staring at the branches overhead and the twinkling stars beyond.