Page 142 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“Fuck him,” Killian swears under his breath, his jaw clenched. “We need to get back to the city… now!”

Wolfe and Nyko practically carry Killian, who’s struggling to keep up, his injuries slowing him down. My adrenaline numbs my pain and terror. Branches scratch my skin and tug at my hair, the dense underbrush making every step a struggle. The descent is brutal.

Wolfe grunts as he slips on the wet ground, his arm shooting out to steady himself against a tree trunk. Nyko curses under his breath, one hand on me so I don’t fall.

My breath comes in ragged gasps. The forest is dense and oppressive, the canopy above blocking out most of the light, casting everything in eerie shadows. We move as fast as we can, but it feels like a slow-motion nightmare.

Fear for my sister gnaws at me. I can’t lose her. Not after I just found out that I have an extended family.

“We’re almost there,” Killian grunts, his face pale from the effort. “Just a bit farther.”

I nod, swallowing hard. The terrain is treacherous, the ground slick with mud and leaves. I slip, my feet sliding out from under me, but Wolfe’s quick reflexes catch me before I hit the ground.

“Careful,” he coos, helping me back up.

“Thanks,” I whisper.

The forest begins to thin out, the trees giving way to open space. Shouts and screams reach us, the smell of smoke heavier. My heart sinks as we burst out of the woods, the city sprawled out before us in utter chaos. People are running desperately in all directions, their fear cutting into me.

Far across the city, the castle is falling apart under the flames.

Wolfe’s grip tightens on my arm, his eyes scanning the scene with grim terror. “Where the hell is that motherfucker?”

Nyko nods, his expression hard.

Killian, despite his injuries, stands tall, his eyes burning at the sight. “Let’s move,” he commands. “We have to stop him before he destroys everything.”

As we push forward, I scan every person, every home we pass for Elara’s familiar face. I lead them to where I roughly remember seeing Clay last, though in all honesty, the streets look alike, and I have no idea if I’m going in the right direction.

We enter a center square, an open area surrounded by flowering trees and benches, with a platform on one end for performances or announcements. The area is large enough to fit several hundred Shadowfen. Now, it’s marred by chaos, with locals frantically dashing across it.

Then I see him across the open space.

Fucking Clay.

He stands there with a sickening smirk on his face with only half a dozen guards. Back in my vision, he had dozens following him… are they all scouring the city for us now?

But I forget them when I find my sister, Elara, chained around the neck, being tugged along like a dog by Clay. She’s clawing at the chain in her monster form, crying to be released. I’m caught by her appearance as it’s my first time seeing her true form—skin shimmering with a translucent glow, almost like moonlight filtering through water, her eyes a deep purple, her hair matching and flowing down to her thighs. She has a human figure, yet she looks more ethereal, especially with the sparks of sunlight bouncing off her body, almost giving her a glow.

Seeing her struggling with the chain, being shoved to keep walking by a guard from behind, has fury boiling inside me. I feel it radiating off my true mates as well. Wolfe’s growling under his breath like a hound about to attack, Nyko’s chest heaves rapidly, and Killian suddenly materializes swords in his hands.

“Clay, you fucking idiot!” Wolfe roars across the square.

Elara’s eyes lock with mine, and I see the terror in her gaze. Clay turns to smirk at Wolfe, his expression mocking.

“My Lord, I have done your duty for you,” he says sarcastically as he gives an overexaggerated bow.

I tremble with anger, my hands shaking.

“What the fuck did you do?” Wolfe snarls, stepping forward. “Who gave you instructions to invade the kingdom? To kill the locals? Look at all the dead!”

We move toward Clay, and the spindly, spiderlike guards following him move in our direction, covering him from either side.

Around us, several bodies of fallen monsters lie scattered, their blood staining the ground. My heart shatters at all the loss.

“They betrayed us, or have you forgotten what happened to your father? How you watched him murdered in cold blood,” Clay barks. “And I did what you couldn’t.” He points to my father’s head, being held up by one of the guards.

I struggle to stare at it, grimacing.

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