Thread

LAKE

I scan the area. Everyone is in a flurry and panic but me. Lynne is searching for someone, and I can’t stop her. I don’t want to stop her.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Lucas tightly grabs my forearm. I growl loudly and look back at him. He’s holding me back from finding the source of this delicious scent.

“Let go of me now, Lucas,” I warn. His grip only tightens at my words. ~Fine, have it your way.~

~

My fist makes direct contact with Lucas’s left eye. He stumbles back and holds his face. The sight of blood on my knuckles begins to send surges into my bones.

“Lake, don’t!” A pair of arms wraps around my waist and takes my hand away from my mouth. ~This scent.~

~

“Jake?” I ask in a haze. “You’re the one with this scent?”

“We’ll have to talk about that later, Moonlight,” Jake tells me. I turn to see his beautiful gray eyes. “We have to go, like, yesterday.”

I nod, and he picks me up and begins to run through the crowd. His hair has gotten longer since the last time I saw him.

“That is quite enough.”

I’m suddenly pulled from Jake’s arms and thrown through the air. I reach for him, but it’s too late. I land directly on the floor in front of Lucas.

Everyone around us is frozen. I can see the fearful expressions on all their faces. My heart squeezes for them.

“Lake, you’ve caused quite the mess of things.”

I struggle against myself. My muscles are tight and refuse to lighten up so I can run to Jake. He seems to be under the same restraints.

“Master, are you hurt?”

“No, Bliss.” Lucas grunts. “You should’ve gotten here sooner.”

My eyes land on a familiar woman, cloaked in white and holding a large staff embedded with a large crystal.

The witch.

“My apologies, master.” Bliss waves her hand over Lucas’s injured eye, and it immediately heals. “I ran into trouble.”

The doors bust open to the sight of Derrick, beaten and bloodied. He’s being carried by warriors who simply throw him to the floor.

“No!” I cry. “Derrick!”

“Firefly—” Derrick heaves as one of the warriors kicks his stomach. My mate coughs violently.

“Good.” Lucas smiles. “You’re both here to see this.”

Bliss snaps her fingers, and all the frozen pack members disappear into thin air. “That should help you enjoy the show, boys.”

Jake growls loudly and attempts to shift. The sound of his bones convulsing and breaking scrape my ears…

“Uh-uh.” Bliss taps her staff on the ground, forcing Jake to convert back painfully. “Phasing will not be allowed while my master conducts his business.”

“Thank you, Blissful,” Lucas smiles. Blissful curtsies and stands aside. She raises me to my feet.

“Now, on to what tonight is all about,” Lucas rubs his hands together before moving the fabric of my dress down my shoulders. Derrick’s mark is exposed.

“My love, these two are the ones that took you from me,” Lucas says with fake pity in his voice. “One of them even defiled you with his teeth and…body. I can’t let that go unpunished.”

“I’m not your mate!” I spit. “I never was!”

“Ah, this again,” Lucas sighs. “Blissful here may have fabricated our bond, but it can never be broken.”

“If you touch her—” Derrick coughs violently. Through our bond, I can feel his internal bleeding.

“Blissful, do it now. I’m tired of this,” Lucas growls.

“As you wish, Master.”

The witch removes her hood and walks in front of me. My body loosens from her grip for a split second before contorting to a kneeling position.

“This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.” Blissful smiles coldly. She puts a hand over my chest and begins to whisper a strange language.

My heart begins to race as Blissful continues. Tears are hot down my cheeks as I try to fight her. I scream out in pain, as does Derrick. He reaches out to me.

Jake is trying his hardest to phase, but Blissful keeps him in tight reins.

Lynne is begging the Moon Goddess to help, as she always did when we had Alignment. This time, though, our pleas go unanswered.

The thread between Derrick and me has already been severed.