The end is nearing soon...
Enjoy!
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- Asmara
Fire blazed around us, so thick nobody could breach it. The wall of fire burned so hot, scorching the ground beneath it. I could almost feel the flames touching my skin, covering my entire body in a sticky sweat. The leather stuck to my body, constricting my chest so much I thought I was going to pass out. Not to mention, it made it unbearably uncomfortable to move.
I looked to Torben, his eyes meeting mine and I knew how much pain and fear he felt in this moment. Those same emotions consumed me.
Torben's brown hair stuck to his handsome face. His entire body was coated in that same sticky sweat as mine. His clothes and bear arms were covered in blood, but it wasn't his.
All those dead vampires I'd seen... Most of those kills had been my mate.
I was desperate to run to him. To scream a warning of what was to come.
I couldn't do anything.
I was bloody helpless. It had barely been an hour ago that Katherine compelled me not to talk or run and to obey every command Draven threw at me.
I shivered when Alijah/Draven's fingers grazed my shoulder, almost in a comforting gesture but it made my stomach clench. Torben gave Alijah/Draven a furious glance, willing him dead.
Alijah/Draven met Torben's stare like he was beneath him. "I'm impressed, Torben. The strategy that went into your army's offence was smart and bold."
Torben looked back and forth between me and Alijah/Draven, assessing how he could get me away from the bastard. "It was. We have your entire territory surrounded by not just one or two but three armies."
"I'm aware. I wasn't surprised to find Tristan's army on the battlefields. I always knew he'd find one way or another to shit on his father's legacy." Alijah/Draven stood closer to my back as he talked, making me tense. I looked to Torben, pleadingly but we both knew there was nothing we could do right now. "But making an alliance with the wolven king, the wolven who killed your own father. That's a new low, even for you."
Torben noticeably clenched his jaw, biting his tongue for a few more seconds so he'd remain visibly calm. "We have come to an equally beneficial agreement."
"An agreement?" Alijah/Draven laughed dryly. "Yes, you get to fuck his daughter and he—"
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Torben was seething, his wolf coming forward. I could feel his wave of dominance wash over me and sensed when even Alijah/Draven almost buckled to his knees.
Alijah/Draven smiled with triumph. He was baiting Torben to make him angry.
He was stalling, I realised.
I looked to Torben trying to warn him that something far worse was going on. I couldn't mutter a word to him, and Goddess knows I tried.
But Alijah/Draven had kept Torben's angry eyes focused on him. "Let Asmara go," Torben growled. "This ends with you and me."
Alijah/Draven tightened his hand on my shoulder instead, the complete opposite to what my mate wanted. "No, it doesn't. This ends with you and Asmara."
My eyes watered when Torben's gaze flickered to my face in confusion. "Asmara?"
I shook my head in agony at not being able to respond.
Torben went mad with confusion. He had no idea I'd been compelled not to speak but now he knew something was wrong with me.
Alijah/Draven snickered. "Poor girl can't speak unless I say so. In fact, she can't do anything that I haven't ordered."
Slowly I saw realisation contort Torben's face and he looked even more pissed and more afraid for me. "You had her compelled? You fucking bastard!"
Alijah/Draven laughed again, loving the fear and anger he caused. I made the mistake of turning to look at him and I was almost blinded by the bright red light that shone from his irises. I closed my lids tight and felt my stomach flip when the ground beneath my feet vanished.
It felt like the world was spinning. The only thing that stayed constant was the tight grip Alijah/Draven still had on my shoulder.
When merciful ground was beneath my feet again, Alijah/Draven shoved me to the ground, where I fell on my knees hard by his feet and threw up. When I was done, I spat at his shoes and he fisted my hair hard, forcing me to wince.
I blinked a few times to get rid of the hazy red light that still blurred my vision, and when it was clear, I saw Torben on his knees. His face was white with nausea, but he hadn't thrown up as I had.
Torben blinked away his groggy vision and found Alijah/Draven shoving my head forward again when he released my hair.
"Where the fuck are we?" Torben growled, noting how the ground was different, and there were no mountains close by.
Alijah/Draven had teleported us elsewhere. Away from our armies.
Everything around me was going to hell and Alijah/Draven had the upper hand.
"We're somewhere we can't be disturbed." Alijah/Draven finally answered, and I knew what was coming next. "At least not until Asmara kills you."
A painful silence fell over Torben as he looked at me. Every inch of my being hurt at the thought of hurting him. My mate. The one wolven who against all odds, made me feel whole. Tears fell down my face, so raw and filled with pain.
Asmara. I felt Torben's mind touch mine gently, coaxing me to look into his beautiful brown eyes. I know your scared, but I know you can fight this.
I sobbed harder, shaking my head. Goddess knew I'd tried.
Alijah/Draven sensed what Torben was trying to do, and he didn't want to give me or Torben the opportunity to fight the compulsion Katherine had on me. Especially, when the vampire wasn't here to enforce it.
"Asmara," Alijah/Draven said. Torben watched as he removed the marked cuff from my wrist with the wave of a hand. Pure panic wracked through me even before he commanded," Kill your mate. Use everything you've got."
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- Torben
I took a step back. Braced myself for my mate to throw herself into a fight she never imagined she'd be in.
Goddess, I never imagined this. Asmara looked so lost—desperate and afraid. For a second it looked like she wanted to scream and for a brief moment she fought the compulsion, but it won anyway.
Her crimson eyes released tears of heartache the second her power knocked into me, forcing me to fly back. I landed on my feet barely but Fuck. It hurt like a bitch.
I almost buckled from her power, but my wolf came forward, shoving strength back into me. "Asmara," I growled, hoping the dominance of my wolf would be enough to break the compulsion. "Fight. It."
Struggling, she screamed in frustration before her arms shakily lifted and she threw another bolt of her power towards me. This time I managed to manoeuvre myself away from the blast. I ran at her, knocking us both to the ground with my body over hers.
"Fight! Please..." It was a desperate plea from my lips. I looked into her eyes and brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face. "You know I can't stop you for long and if it comes to it, I will rather die than hurt you."
Another tear escaped from her eye, running a path down her cheek before I brushed it away. I believe you can fight this, I filled her mind with my voice, hoping and praying it would be enough.
Growls filled the air then, hundreds of them. I looked up, tried to blink through the brightness of the flames before I caught sight of Alivia and Adrenous with our armies behind them.
They'd found us!
Something told me it was to do with why Adrenous had his claws shredding into Desmond's collar. The blonde male looked beat up and frightened. He screamed, "Just listen to me. I—"
Adrenous threw him to the ground, cutting whatever Desmond wanted to say off. "Rylan don't let this traitor escape."
"It'll be my pleasure," Rylan said, casting a furious glance at Desmond.
Just seeing the male again made my blood boil. We had all trusted him with our friendship, our secrets... Our fucking lives and he betrayed us the second he had a chance.
A few steps away Alijah/Draven used his power to force me and Asmara apart. His power moved around me, unable to touch me but it took hold of Asmara and forced her body out from beneath mine. I rose and when I looked, he had her levitated in the air, his power on every fibre of her being as he placed a dagger into her hand and closed her fist around the handle. "No more playing. Kill him now."
The bastard was growing desperate.
Asmara looked as if every touch Alijah/Draven's power had on her burned.
Alivia let out an enraged pain only an angry mother could ever express. Her hair blew around her face and her eyes shone such a brilliant blue; I'd never seen them so bright. Her hands rose towards the fire. She was using her power to sniff out the flames Alijah/Draven's powers had caused.
Fuck! I had to dodge Asmara enough so that her mother could get us out of this.
Our armies surrounded us, blocking all escape routes for Alijah/Draven to take once the flames were extinguished.
Alijah/Draven whispered something in Asmara's ear then and my heart sank the second she looked at me with such a broken expression.
Asmara, whatever he said— I was instantly locked out of her mind like Alijah/Draven had forced her to put a wall up against me.
Fuck!
Then I was on my knees the moment Asmara sent a wave of power at me. I felt like my insides were burning. I tried to grab for my sword, desperate to run at Alijah and cut him down before Asmara could do more damage but it was already too late by then. My entire body froze, unable to move and I was completely stuck. I growled and yelled, trying to fight against it but it was fucking useless.
Asmara was there in front of me, but I couldn't lift my neck to look at her. I could only see the way she clutched the dagger so tightly by the blade, drawing her own blood. I watched it drip to the floor, angry with her for hurting herself.
Then she sank to her knees, her trousers knee-deep in grass and mud. Her eyes were on me and for a split second, I saw her wolf fighting to come to the surface as she lifted the dagger.
"Asmara," I smile, feeling just as defeated as her but if it has to be me or her that dies today, I will gladly make that sacrifice for her. "It's okay. I love you so fucking much, princess. Never forget that."
Alivia still worked her power against Alijah/Draven's but it would never be quick enough.
Tears well in Asmara's eyes and fall to the ground like a small rainfall. I can see how much this is killing her. The raised hand with the dagger begins to shake with her sobs and I can only imagine how hard she's fighting this.
Her wolf jumps to the surface again and stays this time, looking down at me with such love and adoration. Asmara smiles but sobs with so much heartache, it brings tears to my own eyes.
"It's okay..." I say again, watching her, not wanting to waste the last precious seconds I get of seeing how beautiful my mate is.
I had achieved everything I'd ever wanted out of life with Asmara by my side. I was prepared to die.
And then a fierce look of determination crosses her face and she takes the dagger and plunges it into her own stomach.
"No...."
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Did anyone see this coming?
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