Rosalily Dreams (Shifter Chronicles #2)

Chapter Five (Final Chapter)

‘I will use my last breath to keep her alive,’ Larkin decided resolutely just as he heard the crowd of voices and the crunch of sticks just outside his cabin. They were here for her, luckily they wouldn’t find her.

Stepping out onto the dry ground leaves and sticks cracked under Lark’s heavy boots. There was a bit of moisture in the air, it would rain soon. ‘I wish I could take Eve down to the waterfall after it rains, she’ll love it there,’ Larkin thought wistfully, picturing her face light up. Sighing, Lark knew he wouldn’t be able to take her.

A crowd of about twenty people gathered in a clump around Larkin’s cottage. After a quick examination of their face, Larkin recognised a few. Some of them he’d known for years. At the front of the crowd was a stocky man with a black, grizzly beard and hard, dark eyes. Concentrating on him for a few minute, Lark was sure he knew him.

‘Ah, of course.’ Larkin remembered encountering him a few times in the markets; he’d seemed like a good fellow. Always up for a chat, it took Larkin a few more seconds to place his name. Jarett. He was sure his name was Jarett.

“Where’s the Werewolf, Larkin?” Jarett asked as if they were just having a friendly chat.

“She’s not a Werewolf.” Larkin stated, just as friendly.

“We have witnesses, there’s no point in denying it. We know the truth.” His voice was deep and rumbled across the small space like thunder.

“She’s a Shifter. Not a Werewolf.” He corrected him. Surprise fluttered across Jarett’s face, he’d expected Larkin to deny her existence.

“It matters little to us what she calls herself, she is a danger to this town and has to be dealt with!” It seemed that Jarett didn’t like to be surprised; it’d caught him off guard for a few moments.

“She’s not a danger! She wouldn’t hurt anyone!” Trying to convince these people was fruitless; his pleas were only met with stone faces. A few people had indecisive looks, but none spoke up to help him.

“Where is she, Larkin? We won’t ask again.” Shifting his weight, Lark saw a dagger strapped to Jarett’s belt.

“Gone,” was all he said. Looking Jarett right in his dark brown eyes, Lark let him read the determination in his gaze.

There was nothing they could do or say to change his mind and Jarett saw that. Just over Jarett’s shoulder, Lark caught the gaze of two icy blue eyes looking out from the trees. Moving towards Larkin, Jarett unsheathed the small dagger from his belt.

There was no point in running or screaming. From the moment that Larkin had seen the line of flaming tortures heading towards his cottage, he knew that this would be his fate. Quickly giving those beautiful, icy blue eyes another glance; Larkin knew he had no regrets. He would die to protect her.

Hiding amongst the elm trees out of site, Genevieve shifted her weight anxiously. ‘What was happening?’  She could barely see a thing behind all these people. ‘Why did they all have weapons?’ Worry for Larkin danced at the back of her mind, even though he said they wouldn’t hurt a human, Eve had a bad feeling.

Hearing Larkin defend her made Eve feel elated. No one had ever stuck up for her like that. A twist of guilt made its way through the happiness. She had killed people before. A lot. ‘It’s in my nature. People. Animals. They’re all the same to me.’ The villagers were right, she was dangerous but as long as she was with Larkin she wouldn’t hurt anybody.

For a few moments the villagers shifted out of the way, Eve locked eyes with Larkin. ‘He appears to fine. He doesn’t look worried or scared. Things must be going well,’ Eve thought happily. ‘Maybe we could go away together. We can’t stay here after all this. The villagers would be watching us too closely,’ Eve considered cheerfully, thinking of all the places they could go.

That’s when she caught the gaze of Lark again, this time he gazed upon her fondly and she could read the love that shone through his warm, brown eyes. ‘Things must’ve worked out with the villagers.’

Drawing her attention out of her thoughts, Genevieve watched as the bulky man in the front with all the black hair stepped towards Larkin. By the look of Larkin’s face, she had no reason to be alarmed. His posture was laid back and that cheeky grin flashed back onto his face, as if the man had told a funny joke.

The hairy man appeared as if he was embracing Larkin. ‘Humans are unusual creature’, Eve pondered, as she watched the man place a hand on Lark’s masculine shoulder. An unusual expression crossed Lark’s face then, it appeared almost strained. Placing one of her paws forward, Eve examined the two carefully.

The hairy man pulled his arm away from Larkin, almost as if he was jerking something and took a few steps back. That’s when Eve saw the bloody dagger that the hairy man slipped back into his belt. Bright scarlet blood dripped out of Larkin’s stomach, pouring onto the dry ground at an alarming rate.

‘Nononono. This can’t be...he’ll be…no.’ Half-finished thoughts flew through Genevieve’s head as she stared at the scene in shock. The man she loved, the one who looked after her and accepted her was bleeding to death before her eyes.

Shaking away the shock, Eve took a few steps forward, preparing herself to tear off every limb of the gathered villagers. But before she could take another step, Larkin pinned her with his intense gaze. ‘Run,’  he mouthed to her.

Pausing, Eve felt conflicted. The anger boiled inside her, maybe there was still time to save him and more than anything she wanted to take revenge out on the villagers, making the hairy man suffer. Crumpled on the ground, Larkin lay in a heap; his eyes begged her to go.

Following Larkin’s eyes, Jarett caught sight of golden fur hiding between the elm trees. ‘The Werewolf. It has to be that abomination.’ Happily, Jarett pointed right at Eve, a satisfied smirk formed on his lips.

“It’s the Werewolf!” He called to the assembled villagers; everyone turned their heads to where Eve had once been concealed.

“Run, Eve! Get out of here!” Larkin cried out weakly.

 His beautiful golden wolf seemed frozen for a few minutes. Then she disappeared. It was like she hadn’t even been there. Sighing, Larkin tried to ignore the pain as he laid his head down on the hard ground. There was no way Jarett or the villagers would be able to catch her, she was going to be alright.

Picturing Genevieve’s beautiful face for the last time, Larkin remembered the night he took her to the glade. ‘Was that only a few hours ago?’ The last image in his mind before he let the darkness consume him was Eve in his arms, wearing the white lacy dress, in that moment everything had seemed perfect.

As Eve turned her back on the villagers and ran through the elm trees of Rosalily Woods, she let out a howl filled with sorrow and anguish. The pain of Larkin’s death ripped and tore at her heart, leaving it in shreds. If she had stayed and fought the villagers, then she knew that Lark’s sacrifice would’ve been for nothing. He had sacrificed his life so she could get away with hers, she wouldn’t let him die for nothing.

The image of him bleeding out on the ground in front of his cottage was burned into her mind. Pushing it away, Eve ran. There was nothing for her to do but keep running and running, she buried the human part of her and embraced her animal instincts.

 The pain was still there, but it was just a faint hum in the background. All she had to do was concentrate on the wolf, let the animal consume her and take control. Genevieve died with Larkin; she was only the wolf now. The monster that the villagers claimed she was.

**~~** What do you think of the ending? Do you think there was a way to save Larkin? Remember to vote and comment! **~~**