Page 143 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“You have no idea what you’ve done.” Wolfe’s fists are trembling, his eyes locked on Clay. “We lost so many people during the Great Desolation, and there are so few Shadowfen left. And you butcher more? You fucking maniac!”

Nyko’s face twists with anger. “Can I kill him now?”

Several more guards step closer to Clay as we close the distance between us and them.

“These Shadowfen betrayed us when they took the false King’s side, and you appear weak by accepting this,” Clay keeps arguing. “And now his daughter will pay the same price.”

He glances at Elara, who tugs against him. My fury blinds me, and I step forward, my heart pounding in my chest. I stare at my sister.

Don’t do anything crazy, or he’s going to kill me, she pleads suddenly in my mind.

The ache in her voice leaves me trembling.

No, he’s not, I reply firmly. You’re not going to die, Elara. But Clay will. The moment we make a move, you tug from his grip and run to us. I’m not going to lose my sister. Not going to happen.

Thank you, she says, her voice filled with a mix of relief and fear. Whatever happens, thank you for being kind to me. Not many have been.

I’m getting teary, and I want to hug her. It kills me to see her chained up. At the same time, I sense my monster lingering inside now, like a growing emotion; it’s a part of me.

Just hold on. I promise they won’t hurt you.

I trust you.

I nod subtly. The sight of her chained and helpless fuels the fire inside me, but I need to stay focused. For her. For us.

The argument with my true mates and Clay returns me to the present.

“You might reconsider having her on your side,” he snorts, glaring at me, his tone dripping with disdain. “Because you’re sleeping with the enemy, Wolfe. She will backstab you. I should have tried harder to get rid of her when she escaped the Sylar.” He scowls at me.

I’m burning up. “You asshole tried to kill me!”

Clay chuckles, sounding more like an annoying bird squawking.

Killian snarls dangerously in his direction.

All while Elara’s eyes plead with me, and I can’t stand the thought of losing her. My mind races, trying to come up with a plan, a way to save her and stop this madness.

“Enough of this!” Wolfe roars, his voice echoing through the square. “Let Elara go, and we’ll discuss this… you and me. Enough blood’s been spilled.”

Clay hesitates, his gaze flicking between Wolfe, Nyko, Killian, and then me. We’re standing only a couple of feet apart from him now.

For a moment, the world seems to hold its breath. The tension is so thick it’s suffocating, and the weight of everyone’s stares on me is unbearable.

Clay suddenly shoves Elara to the ground with his foot and lunges at Wolfe, his blade flashing in the light.

Nyko and Killian charge in at his back, Killian wincing, but it doesn’t stop him.

Wolfe meets Clay’s lunge head-on, wrestling to force Clay’s blade away from his body. To my surprise, Clay is a lot stronger than he appears. At that same moment, two guards charge at Killian, who’s already injured and struggling to stay on his feet. He parries the first strike but is knocked back by the second, blood seeping from his wounds.

Nyko, in his shadow form, moves like a wraith, his figure shifting and blurring as he attacks the guards targeting Killian and the four coming for him. He wraps his shadowy tendrils around one guard’s neck, yanking him back and slamming him to the ground. The other guard swings wildly at Nyko, but his blows pass harmlessly through the shadows. Nyko materializes behind him, delivering a swift, lethal blow to the back of the head.

I can’t look away, not when my true mates are in danger. Wolfe shoves Clay to the ground, lunging after him while ripping the blade from him, wielding it himself. There’s no pause, just sheer savagery. Clay snarls, his face twisted in rage, kicking him in the gut. It’s enough time for him to roll and scramble up, snatching a blade from a fallen guard.

My attention swings to my sister’s cries. Her leash is held by a huge furry Shadowfen, and he’s raising a blade behind my sister, who’s staggering up to her knees.

Terror grips me.

I burst with a power that buzzes down my arms, and instantly, a shadow double of the guard materializes behind him. It wields two swords, and without pause, he sinks the blades into his back. He grunts, crying out, trying to reach his back while falling over.

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