Chapter Forty
THANE
The first thing I noticed was the sheets on the floor, slightly stained with blood. Riley sat on the floor, her back against the wall; she held a gun in her shaky hand, and tears streamed down her eyes.
“Riley.” I called, and she pointed the gun at me.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warned.
“Riley, lower the gun and tell me what the hell is going on.” I said to her, and she finally let go of the gun, slowly rising to her feet.
“It’s really you?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Where were you?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but first I want to know what happened here.”
“All these?” she threw her hands in the air. “It wouldn’t have happened if you were here; it wouldn’t have happened if you could stay away from Isabella.”
How did she know that? I didn’t plan on her figuring this out before I told her the truth.
“I’m sorry, but I can explain; hear me out.”
“No, you hear me out. Why you were there doing goddess knows what with Isabella, Daemon was here…” she paused, letting out a sob.
“What did he do to you?”
“No, he didn’t take me by force, Thane; I practically threw myself at him because I thought it was you. Daemon – he could shapeshift; I could have sworn it was you,
but I should have known.”
—
“I am going to kill him.” I swore, all I felt was hot, blinding rage.
“No, he can’t be killed.”
“You are still protecting him? After everything?”
“I shot him twelve times, Thane, with this very same gun. I snapped his neck just to
Chapter Forty
make sure, and then I threw him over the balcony, but somehow, he didn’t die. I don’t know where he is, but he’s gone, and now there are two dead soldiers down there about to be discovered by the rest of the pack, so no, I am not protecting him, just stating the fact.”
“I’ll go take care of the bodies, and I’ll be right back.”
“No, you aren’t going anywhere, not till I know why you left me all alone in the middle of the night.”
“I’m sorry, Riley, but I want you to trust me…”
“Trust?” she said, cutting me off. “I don’t know what to believe anymore, Thane. I thought you loved me; I thought you cared for me, but this… this changes everything.
“I have a curse.”
“A what?”
“I never really understood the slight pain I felt every full moon; I always brushed it off like it was nothing, but this time it had been worse. It was more pain than I had ever felt my whole life. I lost control, shifting between my wolf and human forms over and over. I didn’t understand what was going on with me, but then Isabella was there. She knew what was going on, and she offered her help, but I would have to mark her to strengthen our bond; only then would she be able to calm my wolf.”
She turned away from me, completely silent.
“Riley.” I called, but she gave no response. “Riley, please say something.” I pleaded, I hated this silence more than anything, I wish I could read her mind, know what she was feeling right now.
“Did you do it? Did you mark her?”
“I had no choice, Riley; I didn’t want to, believe me.‘
“Did you?” she repeated.
“Yes,” I said to her.
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She inhaled deeply; finally, she turned to me. “Get out.”
“Riley, this doesn’t have to mean anything. She said it herself; she would stay away…
“I say get out!” she screamed at me.
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Chapter Forty
“No. I left, and this happened. I would never leave you again.”
“You are just like every other man. I always knew it would come to this, but still I trusted you. Even if I could see everything falling apart, I believed you would fix this, but I guess I was wrong. You failed me, Thane.”
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