Jace's POV
I was pulled away from her body. The guards dragged me off while I struggled to wake her up. It had been up to an hour since I slumped beside her, crying and tugging at her lifeless body while screaming her name. I was praying so hard that it should all turn into a nightmare, but my prayers are not being answered.
It was a terrific sight that shattered my heart into tiny pieces, leaving me broken. I felt like my world was coming to an end. This should not be Lola. That was what I was yelling, but I am not blind to see that it was truly her even when the face isn't recognized.
"Leave me alone, monsters!" I snarled at the royal guards while fighting to get myself freed from their grip so I could go back to Lola's body and wake her up. The sharp pain in me can't be measured; it kept growing deeper and deeper, sinking to the core.
For the first time in my entire life, I felt like killing myself. After all my sacrifices,
I just lost my mate because of her. The whole pack is against me because she ran away with the vampire, only for her to be killed at the end. What is all this?
Why will she die? Why will Lola die? Was it all the plan of the vampire prince to get her killed?
I knew it was so dangerous when I heard that Lola went to the vampire clan with Blake, but I had believed strongly that Blake would find a way to protect her. I expected him to do that for Lola since she trusted him enough to run away with him.
Oh God...
I don't know what to think or say. My life should just end. The two people who I loved so much are gone. My mate can't recognize me again, and Lola, who I vowed to protect, is also a dead woman already.
"Lock away that body; it will be burned up to ashes!" I heard Sophia's yell of frustration as she puffed continuously.
"After that, you can come right here and get me killed immediately. Burn my body up alongside hers. Let it all end!" I shouted, falling to my knees as more tears flooded down my cheeks.
It is so hard to understand, yet there was nothing to be confused about. It is so clear...
"Why was her face smashed? What if this isn't Lola?" My wolf spoke out suddenly, and I felt a rush of shivers down my spine. My brows arched as I pondered.
"It is unnecessary to smash her face if they really want us to see she is dead. No matter how much alike the body looks with that of Lola, it still doesn't change the fact that the face is the only way to conclude it was her, and then that face was left unrecognizable! " My wolf added, and it was like a fresh breath of life was blown inside me.
All the tears in my eyes dried up instantly, with hope seeping in as I sensed the truth in what my wolf just said. Whoever killed this girl made it clearly look like Lola, and since the face can never be changed, he or she smashed it.
A little smile forced itself on my face, but vanished immediately on seeing Sophia walk towards me with an angry look.
"You are smiling?" She raised her brows, shooting a devilish glare at me.
"No... no I wasn't." My voice wavered as I stuttered those words in fear.
"It doesn't matter, because you both will be burnt in the pack market square together, first thing tomorrow morning." She snorted with a shrug before stomping away.
It took me a minute to process what she just said, and as soon as I understood, it hit me hard that my blood ran cold with every hair on my skin shooting up. She just said I would be burnt alive? She really just sentenced me to death.
Torian's POV
"When we get to the pack, lock him up with Lola's dead body! They are partners and should spend time together before their death!" I heard Sophia say to one of the royal guards as we both headed back to the pack, and once again, I felt that sharp pang in my heart.
I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath as I kept trying hard to process things in my head. Everything seemed foggy in my memory, and every time I look at Jace, I feel pain, the agonizing pain of betraying someone dear to you.
But all this wasn't till I saw the dead body of Lola. I never imagined it would have any effect on me because I thought Lola was someone I despised, but seeing her lifeless body was like an arrow that struck the core of my heart, leaving it bleeding.
For the first time ever, I felt like I was a monster. My brain was suddenly bringing back past memories. Those moments when I hurt Lola without her doing any wrong to me.
I can remember when I first met her. The burning desire to possess and protect her was all I felt. I knew all my friends thought it was for sex. I knew they all thought I was still acting as a playboy without knowing I planned to make her mine forever.
I had every intention of making her my Luna because she was the peace my heart needed; she was so perfect in my eyes and full of good morals, unlike other obsessed women I had met. The way she would help me with class tests while scolding me for not reading my books was heart-warming.
She was just like a mother in school, and I was feeling so satisfied. Jace was the only one who saw I was also loving her genuinely, but all that came to an end when Sophia appeared in my life. Lola had traveled to stay with her grandmother for the holiday.
Sophia the Beta's daughter had been living outside the pack, and when she visited my father in the Royal Pack House with her father, I was there.
We met for the first time, and it was like we had met for a thousand years; it was like a string pulled us together and bound us together.
I fell in love with her instantly and was already going crazy that I began to hate everything about Lola.
I really don't know what was wrong with me, and even now, I can't tell how and why Sophia seems to be controlling me. I can remember all the times I acted like a dummy and a coward.
It doesn't look normal that I don't care about anyone else, not even Jace, my best friend, all because of Sophia. It isn't normal that I caused the death of my mate, Lola. Lola died because she was running away from us.
If I had stood by Lola as my mate, she would be forgiven for saving a vampire and would only be punished. I can't believe I rejected her and approved her to be killed before Sophia requested she be treated as a slave instead.
The warning from Jace about Sophia was now taunting and battering my head.
"Sophia," I called her again, and as she spun her face at me, I only saw an angry monster. The rage in her eyes was like a wild fire looking for someone to consume.
"Why are you calling my name?!" She growled at me, grunting as she clenched her fist on the rope of the saddled horse.
I couldn't say anything else as panic shook me harder, staring in shock at how angry she was.
"This is the second time you are calling my name. Are you mad?" She fumed, and I flinched, swallowing hard.
"I am... am... sorry, I just feel..."
"Keep whatever you're feeling to yourself, dead ass!" She spat in intense hatred and whipped her horse, forcing it to speed past me. I felt frozen for a few seconds as I gaped at the space.
"What is wrong with your mate? She seems to be the angriest here. What exactly does she want Lola to do for her?" I heard my father speak to me through mind link from behind, but I couldn't even reply as I was still in shock.
There are many secrets I am unaware of, and I must admit that I am beginning to believe what Jace and Lola have said. Sophia is not your normal wolf. She might really be a demon.
Sophia's POV
It is deep in the night, yet I haven't been able to sleep at all. My head was filled with different thoughts, which told me nothing but failure.
The Demon King had confirmed that there was no other way to open that door, which means all my plans are scattered. The Alpha is safe from my wrath.
All this time, I had only wasted my time. It was all useless!
Oh shit!
I buried my face in my pillow as all this rammed my head harder.
"You really can't sleep because Lola is dead? Is it necessary that she be killed in front of the villagers? Why make a big deal from it?" I heard the Torian speak softly from behind me on the bed.
I can't believe Torian still talked to me after I said he should never.
"Are you deaf when I said I don't want to hear your voice?" I sneered and waited for him to say he was sorry, but that never came.
"Why don't you want to hear my voice? There is a lot about you that is so uncanny and eerie! I am scared of sleeping while you lie beside me!" He responded, and sat up, staring at my face.
I was so shocked as I peered back at him, wondering what was happening as I couldn't understand how he could say such a thing to me. In his eyes, there wasn't that love or passion anymore, and for real, he was scared of me like a monster.
"You are scared of your mate?" I arched my brows but was stunned when he snapped his fingers with a spit out.
"God forbid us to be mates. Sophia, I have thought it through, and I guess I am coming back to my senses. You have really charmed me all this while. Why are you doing all this? What do you really want?" He shot the question in a raised tone that sounded threatening.
"What has come over you? Is it Lola's death that is making you insane?" I asked, trying to be sure it wasn't what I was thinking. The charm can't dissolve now, not now when I still need to find a way of destroying this pack.
"I won't let you succeed. Jace is my friend, and he won't be killed. I have been stupidly following you all this while. Why do you want to kill Jace because he couldn't get Lola for you? That must be because you have a secret. Something is absolutely wrong with you. You are not a mere wolf, but must be a demon!" Torian shouted at me with angry eyes.
"Me? A demon? What is happening? Where are you getting all these nonsense thoughts from?" I yelled back in tears, hoping it would work on him, but it doesn't seem to.
He laughed croakily and stepped out of the bed.
"You are a demon who wants to destroy this pack. That's why you made me tell you my father's secret source of power. Since then, you've needed Lola so badly. I think she is the only one that can open that door" He growled, his eyes glinting with pure hatred as they sneered at me, leaving me shocked to the core.
This can't be happening now!