A pack doctor had come to check the injury and had bandaged me up. I was in my bedroom with Liam and Raven sitting on the bed whilst Alejandro was pacing the room. He had changed into a clean shirt and was currently smoking a cigarette.
“I’m sorry…” I said, looking at Raven. She was sitting between Liam’s thick legs, looking incredibly tiny.
“Don’t be! It was like old times, us two having a friendly match!” She replied, making a fist as she smiled cheerily. There was nothing friendly about it.
“I still hurt you,” I sighed.
“It wasn’t you,” Alejandro said coldly as Liam stroked my hair, his other arm tightly around his bite-sized Luna
“Yeah. Don’t blame yourself, Kia,” Liam added, looking over at Alejandro. “I thought his hold on her hadweakened?”
“I thought so, too, but it seems not…” Alejandro said, walking over to the bed. White-hot anger ripped through me, and my eyes flashed, making Alejandro pause as he was about to reach out for me. “Kiara…” He retracted his hand, taking a drag on his cigarette as he moved back.
“Stay away,” I said quietly, my heart pounding as I felt the urge to get out of bed and attack him.
“Nothing can fucking keep me away from you,” he growled, stubbing the cigarette on the ashtray on the bedside table and sitting down on the bed next to me.
“I don’t get how his control has grown…” Liam murmured.
“Delsanra had a theory,” Raven replied, falling silent when Alejandro glanced at her. Hatred blazed through me, and I felt my claws extract. “Her aura…” Raven murmured.
“Lock me away, Alejandro, where I can’t hurt myself or anyone,” I begged. The fear of hurting my loved ones terrified me. I needed to be kept away.
“Kiara-”
“Alejandro!Don’t you get it? I’m losing my sanity! Do you want me to run away? No, right? Then lock me in the cells so I don’t hurt anyone!” I shouted, frustration clear in my voice. I was fighting it, but it was obvious with each passing day that his control over me was growing. Or more like every passing minute.
“We’ll give you both a moment,” Liam said quietly as he stood up. Raven glanced at me, worry in her uniquely coloured eyes before they both left the room, leaving me alone with Alejandro. His hand threaded into my hair, and he pressed his forehead against mine, sending sparks of pleasure through me.
“We are going to get through this. Keep fighting like the fucking queen you are.” I nodded, my heart squeezing.
“I plan to, but I’m scared to hurt anyone,” I said quietly.
His gaze dipped to my lips before travelling down to my neck. He frowned thoughtfully before bending down and pulling me up slightly against him. My heart pounded due to his closeness, making tingles spread through me as his scent enveloped me.
“Marking you helped last time…” he murmured more to himself than to me.
I was about to push him away, but for some odd reason my body wasn’t fighting him anymore. In fact, it seemed to welcome his closeness. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
“Alejandro-” I tried to warn him, feeling the anger and excitement course through me, but instead of listening, he sank his teeth into my neck.
Pain ripped through me, mixed with a river of pleasure, but I couldn’t focus on it because what terrified me was the feeling of victory that rushed through me, an emotion that was not my own. Fear filled me, and, using all my energy, I shoved Alejandro off me. My heart was pounding as he looked at me with concern, licking the blood from his lips.
“Relax, Amore Mio, it’s going to-” He suddenly tensed, bending over as he began coughing violently.
“Alejandro…”
I felt like a bucket of iced water was poured over me, seeing the blood that dripped through his fingers as he continued to cough. Pain filtered through the bond, and I clamped my hands over my mouth.
“Alejandro!”
“I’m fine…” he said hoarsely. His face was ashy, and I could see the thin layer of sweat that covered his forehead.
“No you’re not,” I whispered, horrified.
The temptation to plunge my hand into his back was consuming me, but instead, I staggered off the bed, a hand to my chest, putting distance between us. I needed to get help.
He gripped the bed with one hand as another bout of coughing wracked his body and with icy realisation, the truth hit me.
