IN FULL COLOUR - Dark Fantasy

Gabrielle

I stilled in the arms of a high fae warrior with golden breastplates and piercing green eyes as the image of Molly with glazed over teary eyes tore into my heart. She was with her mate in soul although her tiny body was draped over the shoulder of our enemy. Salty tears mixed with bright red blood dripped from her face onto the male’s back while her lips moved, whispering soft loving words to her mate trapped behind iron bars.

The two had been inseparable since the moment they had first laid eyes on each other years ago. Except for when Beast had to train or attend to his warrior duties, I don’t think I have ever seen the one without the other.

Feeling my very own mate’s anguish tugging on the bond, I did the same. Closed my eyes and willed my love to spread over him. Fill him with courage and hope. I had no doubt he would come for us, for me. But at what cost I didn’t know.

It worried me. I had heard the dark prince barking out orders to his men. They were going to set traps for our warriors. Lure them out and slaughter them on sight.

When we reached the exit, the bright midday sun stung my eyes. It lasted mere seconds though. Cloth as dark as the night was pulled over my head, my wrists bound in front of me, and my ankles shackled together.

My heart was pounding, but I perked my ears, focusing solely on the breathing and whimpering of the three women beside me. They were still there. We were still together.

“That one. The one with the dress,” I heard the prince say, “we need her scent to linger, nice and thick.”

My breath hitched in my throat. Boots approached, stopping so close, I could smell the bastard through the filthy fabric covering my face.

“She is important to them, make sure you spread her scent all over the place.”

Strong fingers constricted around my arm, “yes, Sir,” a deep male voice replied mere inches away from my ear.

Soon after, I was pushed to the ground, forced to sit in the dirt while someone tampered with the shackles around my ankles. In my mind, I focused on sending my strength to Axel who was on the brink of losing control. I linked him while I waited for their next move and cried under the cover of the dark material as he promised that he would come for me and begged me to stay alive.

He had promised that I would see him again and I believed his every word.

I tried to burn the sound of his voice into the essence of my mind as we said goodbye and I mentally prepared myself to use my last sacred wish. The one I had been saving for years. I would use it. When the time came. He meant the world to me, and I would gladly give my last wish to him. A wish that could grant life. Power. Eternity.

A heavy hand shoved me down onto the hard floor and movement started up around us. The clanking of shackles, women whimpering and male voices urging them to move forward, sounded through the dark fabric. My heart raced in my chest as feet and boots thudding in the dirt around me.

And to my horror, I began moving as well. Not on my own accord, but by being dragged from my legs over the hard rocky ground. I fell backwards as my legs tugged forward and my skull hit the surface behind me with a loud thud. Pain shot through me and my vision blurred. The fiddling from earlier must have been the men tying a rope around my shackles. The very rope they were now using to drag me along the dirt like a ragged doll.

Sand, twigs, dried grass and stones bit into my back as my dress rode up. With my wrists bound in front of me, I had no way of protecting my uncovered back as skin scraped and grated against the ground.

Hissing in pain, the stinging burn increased. I gripped the hem of my dress in front, holding it down, trying to keep at least the front of me decent.

The prince wanted my scent to linger. I guess his order was being obeyed as thoroughly as possible. No doubt a trail of sweat, fear and blood would be left on the earth behind me.

I clenched my teeth, gritted against the pricking agony and focused on survival. This was nothing compared to losing Axel. I could endure this. I would endure this.

Skin ripped, blood oozed, and a tortured cry escaped my parched lips.

Axel

“Why were they out there when they should have been in here!?” I bellowed again.

The frightened woman, who was supposed to be overseeing the nursery bowed, staring up at me through her tears, “Alpha, we were told that the pups would only be going out for a short picnic and should have been back an hour later. They never came back and the woman who had gone out with them is still missing.”

“Who? Who told you this!?”

A sob, “the Beta. John. He had arranged the picnic two days ago.”

My blood simmered as I looked up, scanning the faces around me for a trace of the prick.

“We hadn’t realized they never came back, not until chaos broke out and their mothers panicked. Luna Gabrielle and a few others offered to retrieve them.”

My heart tightened. It had been a trap. She was set up.

John had betrayed us. Betrayed Dire Mountain and his Alpha’s only heir.

When I turned, Alpha Blake was as white as a ghost and I was shaking, barely preventing a forced shift.

Dorian stood to the Alpha’s left, eyes wide and pale around his jaw.

Canines gleamed as I growled, “Where. Is. He?”