Barre
(This chapter contains themes that may be disturbing to some readers.
TW/ SA)
Anger pulses through me, and any control I had left is wilting away. I'm going insane.
"What do you mean? Where did she go? She was just here!" I demand, still gripping the guard with tight, desperate hands. I saw Elodie moments ago. I wasn't even in the woods when I turned back.
The sinking feeling in my gut worsens.
I can feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest, panic surging. Where could she have gone? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?
"Fray, Fray, thank the Gods that you're here!" The Rytarian in my hands wheezes the words out, I whirl around to see General Fray walking quickly to us.
I let go of the guard, he stumbles to the ground. I'm ready to go to war. Fray's yellow eyes widen when I get in his face.
"Where is she? Where is my Elodie?" I rage, seeing nothing but red. Salsh growls next to me, taking a threatening step forward as he bares his teeth.
"You're the one that brought her back? She's been with you all this time?" He wonders, obviously perplexed. I growl. There is no time for these questions when my precious female is missing.
"Has she been taken? Where is she?" I demand, and Fray holds up his hands.
It's the first time I notice the female behind him.
She has tears running down her face.
"Elodie? ware ees Elodie?" She asks, and Fray shushes her.
"We will find her, my mate, I told you to stay put. Your worrying is not good for our kit."
"Tell me where she is, Fray, or I swear to the Gods I will tear this palace down to find her!" I growl, not caring when the guards jump away from me, or when Fray's mate breaks out into sobs. The little human pushes her face into the General's chest, crying.
Fray glares at me for upsetting his mate. All I can seem to care about is finding the one female I care about more than this whole planet.
"There is a warrior here, he has become obsessed with Elodie. I don't doubt that he would be the one that took her." Fray says, holding his human mate to his chest as she continues to cry.
I growl furiously, my arms straightening as I flex.
"What is his name?"
I need to know the name of the male I am going to kill.
"Locanas."
Everything quickly falls into place, and I realize this is the reason she's always been afraid. Always looking over her shoulder, trembling at sudden noises. My Elodie was terrified of this Locanas person, he even haunted her dreams.
I will make him pay with his blood.
"Where could they be? Where would he have taken her?" I don't even try to keep my voice down.
The little human female sniffles, turning her head to look up at me.
"I dddone-t no." She whines, and I raise my eyebrows.
Fray is watching me.
"You can't understand her? You don't have a transaction chip?"
I shake my head once. All of this is a waste of time to me. If I don't find Elodie now, I will kill someone or destroy something. The anger inside me pulses with its own life. I can't hardly think straight. I see red, transported to my days of fighting and killing.
"Let's go. We will find Locanas, and get you a translator in the process. That will make everything easier I think."
I glare, following him down the hallway quickly. One of the guards tries to tell me that no raslers are allowed here, but one bark from Salsh has him shutting his mouth.
I should never have taken Elodie here. She was afraid, she was always afraid, and I never knew why until now. It's all my fault. I should've personally escorted her to the Emperor. Instead, I let her be in danger.
How can I ever forgive myself?
We file into some sort of room where many Rytarian males are gathered. Fray goes through another door, quickly coming out with a translation chip in hand. I don't waste time shoving the thing in my ear. The pain is temporary. I turn to Fray's mate, ready to interrogate her.
"Where is my female?" I ask, clenching my fists at my side. I won't rest until she's found.
"Like I said, I don't know. I heard she was returned, but when we got to the Guards, it was too late. I know it was him. It has to be that big bastard." She sobs, clutching a tissue to her face as her crying takes over.
"Where would he take her? What does he want from her?" I demand answers.
A young warrior steps forward.
"He spoke often of her, he wants her for his mate."
Fray growls low.
"I thought he was over that. I told him he wasn't allowed to court her."
I pale.
"So he plans to mate her by force then?" I ask, fear penetrating my heart. No one answers me. That's the only answer I need. My worst fears are coming true.
We need to find her. Now.
"We'll split up. Look anywhere and everywhere. He can't have gotten far with her. Report back to Barre. He'll take care of Locanas, I'm sure." Fray looks to me for confirmation. I nod. I will likely kill the male that dared to terrify one as pure and sweet as my Elodie.
Praying to the Gods that I'm not too late, I hurry to find her before anything bad can happen to her.
I turn, stomping through the hallway quickly. All the males split up in different directions. Finding my female is their priority now.
I try any door that I can, not finding anything but furniture and large rooms. Around me the halls are filled with Rytarians searching for the lost treasure that is Elodie. I have to find her before something happens. The terror coursing through me is enough to halt my breathing.
How am I supposed to find her when the thought along of her pain and fear makes me weak at the knees?
Salsh suddenly darts in front of me, his nose twitching. And that's when I realize that I had him here all along. A hunting rasler's sense of smell is unmatched.
I frantically search my pockets for Elodie's hair ribbon, going to my knee to show it to him. Slash stares at the ribbon, pressing his nose to the fabric and taking a long whiff of it.
His red eyes dart up to my face to meet my gaze.
"Find her."
And he's off. I run after my pet as he sprints down the long hallways, passing every corridor and door. His snout is high in the air, searching for any faint whiff of her that he can find.
He leads me through a hall that takes us to the kitchens. I narrow my eyes at our surroundings. Could Salsh have made a mistake? Did he follow his nose to food?
The rasler jumps over the counters, sending pots and pans clattering to the ground. He runs further into the heart of the kitchens. I chase after him.
I follow him into a dark alleyway, realizing that my companion has stopped at a wooden door. He claws at the door, snarling and foaming at the mouth.
That's when I hear it. Crying.
I pull Slash away, trying the doorknob and finding it locked. I growl, throwing my shoulder into the solid door. It gives way the first try, sending me tripping into a small pantry.
A male turns his head, his eyes wide with surprise, and panic. He's kneeling on the ground.
"It can't be." He says. "Gladiator."
I barrel into the room, grabbing him and pulling until I see what his body is hiding. Elodie lays sprawled out on the floor. She's trembling, her eyes puffy from crying, her cheeks wet with tears. A sob leaves her. My heart ripples in my chest.
Her body, her delicate, soft body is exposed. Her bright pink, skin is visible, her shirt torn into tatters by desperate male hands.
It's then and there that I decide I will end him now.
I drag Locanas into the alley and away from my female.
I don't think, I don't hesitate, I just attack.
Pinning him to the ground like he easily did to a helpless female, I lay my fists into his face. Over and over and over.
Blood sprays my face, and I don't stop for anything. Not the hands clawing at my back, not the shouts around me, I won't stop, I will kill him. His life is mine to take away. I'm transported back to my days in the arena. It was so easy to kill back then, it's easier now that my purpose has arrived.
Elodie is that purpose.
The male struggles, his arms pushing at me. He's strong, but I'm stronger. I put my hand around his neck, slamming the back of his skull into the ground again and again until he stops fighting me.
I could kill him easily now, a few more hits, a snap of his neck, he would be dead in moments. I could sink my thumbs into his eyes for daring to look at flesh as heavenly as her's. I could crush his windpipe for breathing on her beautiful face. I could crack each of his fingers one by one for daring to traumatize her with his touch.
It's one word that stops me. A broken, little voice calling my name.
"Barre."
I pause over the bloody mess that is Locanas's face. My jaw clenched, my breath coming in and out of my lungs.
"Barre. Where is he? Please."
I look over my shoulder to see Elodie. She's surrounded by males, and Fray's mate is there too, pulling Elodie's torn shirt to cover her chest.
My eyes lock with the tiny she. Her green eyes still shimmer with tears.
I wonder how I must look to her now. Painted in blood, eyes wild with fury. I'm deadly. I'm a destroyer of life. I hate to think of her fear now being directed at me.
I stand, leaving Locanas. It's hard to do. I want to finish the job, but I can't bring myself to kill in front of such innocent eyes.
The sea of males parts for me. I'm much stronger than them all, and they know it. They won't get in my way after the dominance I just displayed.
My fists are soaked in purple, Locanas's blood is everywhere. These males fear me, but the only person I have eyes for is Elodie.
I pause, standing above her, going to my knees until I'm on her level.
I open my mouth to say something, to say anything really. I'm reminded of the day I found her trembling and crying in the woods. I tentatively reach for her, unsure of what to do. Before I can say a word, she throws her arms around me. I catch her, my mouth hanging open in surprise.
She sobs, clinging to my neck.
"I knew you would come back."
I love you all! Thank you for all of your support, I hope these chapters were worth the wait, more chapters to come soon❤️