AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 55
Jaiel
Ifollowed Kaiya as we we stumbled past Alpha Blackwood and started down the stairs. But the alpha didn't move to follow, his attention fixed on the many bodies littering the floor.
"You did everything you could," I said, voice rough, as I tugged at him to join, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.
"If only that were true," he muttered, forcing his gaze to meet mine. We'd fought side-by-side while Kaiya took down the relic, and I could see why he was the alpha. He was a badass fighter.
But those eyes were full of so much grief and anger.
"Gramps!"
Finn's voice snapped the older man out of it, though, and he looked down the stairs.
"Coming!" the older man shouted, shaking his head as he forced a grim smile. "For now, we need to save the survivors."
Turning his hand to a wolf paw, he reached into the gap behind the door and sliced the rope using his claws.
The stone door shook and fell closed with a heavy thud.
With one last sad look, he moved down the stairs towards his grandson.
I followed, limping down the stairs, chased by the faint sounds of Japhire's team exploring the room we'd left.
My monster clawed at my chest, trying to break free as it surged against my low reserves of charisma.
I had barely enough to keep the creature at bay, and with these injuries, even that was questionable. And if I succumbed …
Kaiya stood ahead of me, helping a woman down the stairs. Her familiar pale hair, always tangled and messy, was now matted with blood, and her skin was covered in dozens of cuts and gashes.
But she was alive.
Thank the saints she'd survived.
I stared at her, soaking up that familiar face as she turned to a limping Tye and held out a hand. "You okay?"
Saints. She even helped the people she hated.
Tye nodded, and she turned those hazel eyes on me, gaze tight with worry as she took in the shadows seeping from my eyes and fingertips.
My heart gave a painful thump and regret twisted through me. If only things could be different.
But we had time. If I could get the monster back under control, everything would be okay. At least for now.
It still wasn't strong enough.
I had time.
"I'm fine," I reassured her, ignoring both her disbelieving huff and the sharp pains across my shoulder, arms, and legs. A few of those wolves had gotten a bit too close …
But she needed to focus on herself.
The memory of her up there fighting that damn relic alone was fucking nightmare fuel. I'd known she could do it, but saints, it was hard to let her go!
And when that damn relic dove after her, I'd tried to call out, but the wolf had its jaw buried in my shoulder. And then she'd been falling forward …
I shook my head to clear the memory. It was over. She's survived, and it didn't help anyone to dwell on could-haves.
