Trip To The Inferno (Unedited)

Part 60

The stag stood unmoving, his eyes on me. He had his head lowered, his weapons in front of me.

'Leave!' I shouted to Orna who stood frozen in fear. She let out a short howl and turned around, her tail disappearing behind bushes. My eyes instantly went back to the stag. Neither of us moved and just stared. I slowly moved to my right, wanting to walk around the animal, but it copied my move, walking to his left with me.

I was scared of the animal, his sheer size dwarfing my own, but with neither of us doing something, I was getting frustrated. I just wanted to go back and eat something good, spend some time with others, watch the ritualistic dance.

'Asshole' I mumbled under my nose as I tried to move around the animal again.

Unfortunately, he was first to make a move.

I watched as the stag rose his head and screamed at me, clearly angry about Gods know what. Lowering his massive antlers down, he charged at me with full speed. My body stood frozen, like a deer caught in a headlights as I watched the upcoming animal. Everything happened so fast, my body going into shock. I could feel the bone limbs piercing my body, his unnaturally sharp ends of the antlers going through my body like butter. Lifted high into the sky, I was brought down with speed, my body crashing into the ground. The pain raked my entire body and I didn't even notice myself screaming. Blood slowly pooled in my mouth and coughed it out, looking at the sky, still in shock.

Tlaloc POV.

The mood for the Festival wasn't the best, but people tried their best to relax and enjoy themselves. I watched the crowd of women standing around my mother, excited for the opportunity to honour the God of Death. My eyes wondered to the spot where I left Lynea, but she wasn't there. Frowning, I began walking towards the group, searching for the rabbit haunch with my eyes. Where would she have gone?

Suddenly, my body broke in cold sweat, my instincts stabbing my guts. Something was wrong. My pace increased as I reached the group and began sniffing the air. The women around me looked at me worried, but I ignored them, trying to catch my mate's scent. And I did. The moment her sweet scent hit my nose, pain exploded inside my chest. It was sudden, causing me to stumble a little. I gripped my chest, confused by the pain. My mother with the others stopped what they were doing and watched me, fear spreading throughout the pack like a wildfire. I pushed passed worried women and followed the rabbit's scent as the pain increased.

And then a frantic howl reached everyone's ears.

I watched as a dark brown wolf ran out of the nearby forest, speeding up straight at us. Orna changed back mid jump, crashing onto the ground before everyone. She was crying and hyperventilating, trying to get the words out of her mouth. I dropped to my knees and grabbed her face, holding it firmly in front of my own.

'Speak' I ordered and from my command her tongue untied.

'Luna... is cornered by.... the white stag... you have to help her!' She frantically spoke, her words barely spoken properly.

Cornered by a white stag?

Laird howled inside my mind, making my ears ring. Ignoring that, I jumped on my feet and bolted for the woods, following the mixed scents. Soon my nose caught a scent of blood, increasing my fear ten fold. Gritting my teeth, I was about to release Laird, but it wasn't needed, because I found my mate.

Dying.

She was in a small clearing, her small body laying in a pool of her own blood. Small sobs were coming from her as I approached her. Dropping to my knees the second time, I grabbed her face, her eyes instantly locking with my own. Shock, pain and fear were in them.

'It hurts' she barely cried out and I took her hand, squeezing it.

'Shhh, everything will be over soon' I whispered as I cupped her face with my other hand. There was no way to save her from the wounds and all I could do was to be there for her.

'It hurts' she whispered, her face ghastly pale, covered in tears mixed with her own blood. I lowered my head and touched our foreheads, not breaking our eye contact.

'Focus on me, rabbit haunch' I whispered.

My eyes closed on their own as her hand went limp in my grip, her heart stopping.

I didn't move when excruciating pain spread across my body, our bond breaking. I ignored how one by one people began dropping on their knees with grunts as their bond with their Luna broke apart, ignored Lynea's best friend standing near Ogden and crying his eyes out, ignored clear shocked expression on Ogden's face.

Why was this happening? When I finally found her, she was taken away. Is this the punishment from the white stag for not finding the killer? Was this a life for a life trade?

I lifted myself up and looked at her. Her dull empty eyes stared into nothing, but she looked calm. Too calm. I lifted my hand and closed her eyes.

Howls from afar reached us and with them her soul departed to the Ethereal Fields.