Steel Butterfly

27

Kalia's POV

Ronan looked devastated to say the least.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Ronan." Aetnara's face was very bruised and puffy, all thanks to the beasts attacking her when they kidnapped Raena.

"Talon wants to turn my mother into his Beast Queen. If we just sit here and ponder, it will be too late for her." Ronan was pacing back and forth, fingernails in his mouth.

"Talon?" Elder Matthias asked.

"That is his original name. But you didn't hear that from me." Ronan was getting antsy.

"Well, he very likely took her back to the forest." Elder Sigrid spoke, her hand on her chin.

"We'll have to get her out of the forest." Elder Matthias spoke, hand on his hip. "We'll send in hunters and divide them into groups."

"We'll need an "elite" squad to save Raena." Elder Sigrid spoke. "I think the most experienced Hunters would be useful here."

"I'll go." Aetnara spoke, standing up. "It was my duty to protect her and I failed."

"I'll go. She's my mother after all." Ronan stopped his pacing.

"I'll go too." Lizin spoke. "I've been a Hunter since before Ronan was born."

We chuckled.

"Well then. Aetnara, Ronan, Lizin and Sigrid will be our star squad that will sneak in." Elder Matthias spoke. "Mercy, Kalia, and Dalissa will be the inner squad which will break through any beasts posted in the forest. Milly, Roger, and Kingsley will be the middle squad that will clear the way and aid the inner squad. if any other beasts appear. and I will lead the surviving hunters to distract any beasts from stopping the star squad from rescuing Raena."

"That sounds like a solid plan." Ronan crossed his arms.

"Yeah, so we should get going." Elder Matthias spoke.

"Glad we can agree on that." Ronan spoke as they started to collect their things and head out.

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Raena's POV

Raena woke up in the same bed she was in earlier. Talon was sitting next to her, leafing through a book.

"Talon? Why did you take me away?" She sat up, feeling dizzy.

"They were going to kill our child." He spoke. "One of my birds heard it."

"Birds? You were spying on us?" Raena crossed her arms. "Also you're very concerned for our unborn child but you have no problem trying to murder your living one."

Talon took a deep breath. Ronan was nearly a carbon copy of him.

"Ronan turned against me." Talon looked at Raena.

"You were never there for him." Raena looked back at him. She wondered if he had aged himself up to match her age. The first time she had seen him he had been youthful and looked her age. "Or for me. You got me pregnant and fucked off the first chance you got. I can't believe I slept with you again."

"I couldn't. I was trapped in those woods for centuries. But now that the daughter of Tezcatlipoca released me from my prison, I can be with you. We can start over." He gently laid his hand on her belly.

Raena moved his hand from her belly.

"I don't want to start over. I am too old to be dealing with this." She tried to get up from the bed all together.