Page 49 of The Last Storm
I couldn’t control it as the furious sky laid ruin to everything around him and he just stood there, watching me with sad eyes. As emotion and power overwhelmed me, a scream tore from my throat to the sky and it exploded one final time, lighting the forest as bright as daylight before it went dark.
Completely exhausted, I swayed, stumbling, and landed in strong arms.
Tears trickled down my face as betrayal and grief settled in my bones.
How will I ever hide in Auryna now? What will become of my mother? My father?
“I will never forgive you,” I mumbled, slurring my words.
“I know,” he whispered and it echoed through my mind as I slipped into darkness, unconscious.
* * *
A groan escaped me as I opened my eyes to cloudy daylight, my head pounding.
Sitting up, the blanket fell to my lap. I was in my bed in Draig Hearth.
The memories bombarded me and I squeezed my eyes shut, dropping my head to my hands. Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes to examine my hands for any traces of electricity or burns, but there were none. Reaching up hesitantly, my fingers were met with a point on each ear and I choked on a sob, jerking my hands down.
How will I hide? What will happen to my mother? To Ravaryn…?
My eyes blurred with tears as I glanced up, noticing Rogue asleep in the chair.
“Get out.”
His eyes snapped open, his mouth falling slack as he popped up from the back of the chair. He rose to his feet, a look of relief on his face.
“Get. Out,” I bit out through clenched teeth as a tear escaped my eye.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze following the tear as it rolled down my cheek. His mouth set into a tight line. He stood there for a moment, clenching his fists before he turned and left.
Minutes later, Alden came into the room and I gasped. There was a thick ring of purple bruises around his neck. My stomach dropped with a heavy stone of guilt. It wasn’t my hand responsible for those bruises, but it was my fault.
“Alden… I am so sorry,” I said as he neared the bed.
“There is no need to apologize. You did not do this,” he said, gesturing to his neck.
“Maybe not, but it is my fault all the same.”
“No, it is I who must apologize to you. If I’d been able to hide your escape longer, maybe you would’ve made it far enough away…” His gaze shifted to the exposed wound on my neck and I quickly covered it with my hand, dropping my eyes.
“Ara, you should know you’ve been asleep for two days. During that time, Rogue explained what happened… the mate mark, your magic, everything.”
My heart stopped.Two days? Mate—?
Wait.
“Is that what this is? What does it mean?”
“Ara…”
My heart raced at his hesitation.
“Alden, what does it mean?” I asked again, harsher this time, and he met my gaze.
“You will… You will never leave here undetected. By claiming you, he will always know where you are. He’ll be able to track you, no matter how far or fast you run.”
The blood pounded in my ears, the room swaying around me. Jerking to my feet, I rushed from the room and down the spiral staircase.
