Chapter 49
Race Against Time
ROYCE.
I stare at her, processing her words.
There’s no way, I mean, how can that even be possible? If she is alive, then
where is she? Why isn’t she here?
“Lottie… Why do you say that?” I ask her quietly.
She looks down. “Trust me, Royce, I know she is. I heard them speak of it with
my own ears.” She mumbles, her heart thumping as if fearing getting into trouble.
“Who?” I ask, my own heart racing. “She was stillborn. There’s got to be a
misunderstanding.”
“No Royce, she was meant to be… offed.”
Offed.
I know what she means, and I wait as she struggles to keep calm.
My own emotions are havoc as I try not to let her see it as I wait for her to
continue when she’s ready.
“How do you know?” I ask, trying to remain. calm.
“I snuck out one day to go to the packhouse, and then when I was trying to get
back home, I overheard Beta Quade and Delta Harry talking in his office. Beta
Quade said he couldn’t do it, so he instead commanded an omega to leave the
pack and gave him money to move somewhere far away so Dad would feel a
pack link break that night and think it was our sister, of course, he didn’t keep a
count of everyone and so… Beta put her in a human orphanage and told Dad
he’d done the job.”
It feels as if someone just stabbed me in the throat. I feel as if I’m choking.
Dad did that…
“And why- why was he telling Harry now?” I ask, trying to understand it but the
fact that Dad actually tried to have his own daughter killed.
A baby… fuck…
“He said he recently found out she was taken from the orphanage. He said that
he found out that that orphanage is linked to some powerful Alpha and he’s
scared Dad will figure it out if he ever sees her. But he’s unable to get any further
details about her, and he doesn’t even know if she still goes by the name he gave
her or if she’s under a new identity.
“Alright… I’ll talk to the Beta. If she’s out there, we’ll find her.” I reply quietly as
we drive through the small town at the edge of the woods where Skyla lives.
The revelation has my head spinning. Would she even want to know us? Would
we be ruining her peace, to tell her that her father wanted her dead?
I mean, I have no reason to tell Dad, and I never will, but Mom, does she know
her daughter is alive? No, she doesn’t, because I’ve seen her remember her
pain.
Mom has one tattoo, a tiny one beneath her wedding ring. Victoria with a little
heart. Her charity foundation is the Victoria Trust. She’s never forgotten her.
What would she do if she learned what dad has done?
How do I cope with the fact that he tried to kill his own child?
Experiments and control… I dealt with it all, but this?
The hurt and shock I feel are beginning to change to a burning anger.
Charlotte sighs.
“That could have been me. If I wasn’t good enough, he would have tried to kill me
too… and what if it wasn’t Beta Quade… what if he gave her to someone who
would have actually killed her?” She takes a shuddering breath. “I’ve considered
running away, Royce. I’m sick of the cage I live in.”
“I’m going to have to step it up. You’re right, this can’t continue. He as good as
killed his own daughter. He isn’t worthy of
being Alpha or on the king’s council, nor the head of the Solaris court. It’s time for
change.”
“Then will you challenge him and Aleric?”
I’m about to reply when a voice rips through my head.
‘If anyone can hear me, I need help on the southern side of the woods bordering
the Luminaria Pack. There should be a car parked on the road. You can’t miss it!’
Skyla?
Her voice is strained.
“Fuck!” I curse.
She used her Lycan ability to mind link any Alpha close enough. She’d only do
that if she was in real trouble and, for Skyla, real trouble meant a life or death
situation.
“Royce, what’s going on?” Charlotte asks. I swerve the car left, heading towards
the woods at full speed.
The rain is hammering down on the car, but it doesn’t phase me.
“Someone’s in danger.” I say.
She quickly straps her belt on as I press my foot down on the gas, driving at a
dangerous speed. It doesn’t take long before I spot Skyla’s car, but it’s the
mutilated body on the ground that makes my stomach twist.
My heart drops, until I notice the long dark blond hair and close my eyes.
It’s not her…
Thank the goddess!
But I know who did this – the beast.
“Charlotte…” I can’t leave her here alone. ” Let’s go!”
I get out of the car and run to the trunk, I grab two swords, tossing one to
Charlotte, who catches it with ease before scanning the area. There’s no scent
from the rain, but I can hear a commotion.
“This way.” I command, my eyes flashing as lightning flashes in the sky.
She better be ok, what the hell even happened?
Please be ok.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have left her alone. Did she leave her house to drop off her
cousins? I should have done that. Why is she even allowed out here?
Who was that girl?
“Sky!” I shout, hoping she hears me.
Please fucking be ok.
I can hear them. They’re clashing but relief floods me to know she’s alive and
kicking.
“Holy….” I hear Charlotte whisper as we both look down at the second dead
body that lies there, frothing at the mouth, eyes wide open.
This one died from poisoning.
More casualties…
I see Skyla fighting. From here, it looks like. she’s alone in the middle of all these
broken trees, but I know what else is here…
Using her as an estimate, I send a bolt of lightning at it, but to my horror, I see
Skyla barrel downwards just as I burst into the opening. One moment she’s in the
air, the monster hissing viciously, and then she disappears before I can even
reach her.
He fucking ate her.
I can’t see him completely, but I can now see bits of blood that give away his
position and his one plum-coloured eye turns on me.
Damn Sky’s done damage.
I don’t waste time rushing at it, lightning crackles through my hand and wraps
around my blade as I run at him.
“Royce!” Charlotte shouts in panic, but the only thing I care about is getting my
Lil Lucifer out of him.
I refuse to believe she’s not alive. I can hear her heartbeat. It’s faint, but it’s
there.
She’s a Lycan, she can’t die.
He lunges at me, his single eye full of rage, and I jump up, using the wind to give
me leverage before I raise my sword, and with everything I have, I bring it down.
My hair whips in front of my eyes, and I grit my teeth when I feel the sword
connect before blood splatters everywhere, the lightning cutting through him and
illuminating the night sky.
His body comes into view as it drops to the ground, his head rolling.
Dead.
I turn to see a bloody Skyla roll out of him.
She’s breathing, fuck she’s alive, but barely.
Time
“Oh my god!” Charlotte gasps as I drop my sword and rush to Skyla.
“Sky! Fuck! Charlotte, call Alejandro Rossi!”
Panic and fear envelop me as the rain hammers down on her, washing away
some of the dirt and blood from her naked body.
Charlotte runs over as I take my phone out of my pocket and, unlocking it, I toss
it at her.
I scan her body. The snake was venomous.
Those who came in touch with it, died sooner or later.
She was inside of him, if this was anyone else, they’d be dead. I call forth more
rain, letting it rinse her body of everything. Yet I can see her skin changing colour.
“Sky hold on!” I say, my heart thumping as I cradle her body, which is burning
hot, trying to assess the extent of her injuries.
Her beautiful eyes are looking at me, but I’m not sure she can hear me or even
see me.
With a shaking hand, I brush a few strands of her hair off her face, wishing I had
told her who I was. Fuck!
No, she isn’t dying.
Fuck, you can’t die.
I just need her family to pull a miracle and come save her.
I can hear Charlotte struggle with the phone, but she’s not able to connect.
“Is it not connecting?” I ask, She shakes her head. “It’s not working, but I’ll try by
the road,” She whispers, before she runs off out of the trees. “Royce, bring her
to the car!”
“Now this isn’t exactly how I wanted you to see me naked,” Skyla murmurs as I
shift her position, ready to lift her up.
“You’re still beautiful,” I whisper as I scan her beaten, wounded body. My gaze
stuck on her side. Unlike the rest of her body, the skin around the cuts looks
worse. As if she’s been burned.
Did the poison get into her system faster from her cut? I hope not… but that’s
what it looks like.
“Yo listen… if I die… make sure you don’t tell people I became a snake
delicacy…” Her body shudders as she begins convulsing and I pull her into my
chest.
Her body is blazing hot like a furnace and I let coolness wash over her, hoping it
soothes her pain a little.
“…I mean I only like to be dessert for…” She murmurs.
Be my dessert, any day… I’ll be yours.
This girl, though, even when she’s so badly wounded, she can still light up my
world.
“You are not going to die.” I growl as I stand “The… girls… help…”
Didn’t she know they were dead?
I run as fast as I can to the car, hearing
Charlotte on the phone.
“… on the border of the Luminaria Pack hospital – immediately.” She hangs up,
her heart thumping.
“Good call. It’s the closest.” I say to her, referring to the Luminaria Pack.
She nods.
I place Skyla down, pulling open the trunk of my car.
We had managed to get some venom and had tried to come up with a pre-battle
anti- venom. I don’t know to what extent it’ll work, but it might help slow it down.
Pulling open all three vials I have, I pour the first on her waist injury before tilting
her head up and pouring the other two down her mouth.
I can only hope something goes down her throat.
“I’m shifting Charlotte. Don’t call Dad, call Alpha Prescott. His number’s on the
phone and tell him what’s happened and not to mention it to anyone. Tell him that
I’m on the way.’
The last thing I need is for Dad to make matters worse.
She nods. “Go, I’ll be fine. I’ll tell them to send someone to deal with this mess.”
I don’t want to leave my little sister alone, but I also know that Sky will die if she
isn’t treated immediately.
Shifting, Charlotte helps lift Skyla onto my back, taking off her coat she places it
on top of Skyla before I break into a run as I leap through the trees, my paws
barely hitting the ground, my only goal is to get her to someone who can help
her.
I won’t let anything happen to you, Love.
I swear
