Page 36 of Chains of Nightshade

"Mate," the word tumbles from my lips unbidden, and I freeze. The realization hits me like a physical blow. "No... it can't be."

Her voice calls to me again, stronger this time, pulling at something deep inside my chest. I try to fight it, but my body responds on its own, turning back toward where I left her.

"Fuck!" I grip a tree trunk, trying to anchor myself. "She's just a human. Just a tool. Just?—"

Another wave of pain cuts off my words, and with it comes her scent, her touch, memories of her warmth against my scales. My body trembles with need, an ancient magic awakening in my blood.

The pull is impossible to resist now. Like a siren's call, her presence beckons me, and my heart pounds with a truth I can no longer deny.

I drag myself through the undergrowth, each movement sending fresh waves of agony through my body. The pain lessens with every foot I cover back toward her, but it's still excruciating.

"What kind of magic is this?" I grit my teeth as another spasm wracks my frame. "Some kind of binding spell?"

My tail thrashes against the forest floor as I push forward. The closer I get to where I left her, the more the vice grip around my heart loosens. Understanding dawns, bitter and sharp.

"I can't leave her." The words taste like defeat on my tongue. "She's bound me to her somehow."

The sounds of combat reach my ears - magical explosions and shouts cutting through the forest air. Dark elf magic crackles, making my scales bristle.

"No." My heart pounds against my ribs. "Not them."

I surge forward, my body moving faster despite the lingering pain. The cliff edge comes into view through the trees, and I see them - dark elves surrounding a familiar figure.

Vera stands at the precipice, her slight frame trembling but defiant. One of the dark elves reaches for her.

"Get back here, slave!"

My chest constricts as she steps backward, closer to the edge. Everything inside me screams to move faster.

"No!" The word tears from my throat as she tips backward into empty air. I burst through the treeline, but I'm too late.

She falls, her body silhouetted against the setting sun, and something in me shatters.

"VERA!" The scream tears from my throat, a sound so primal it shakes the very trees. My tail whips out, catching the nearest dark elf and crushing his ribcage before he can raise his magic.

"You let her jump!" I slam another against a tree, my claws ripping through flesh. "You fucking bastards!"

Blood sprays across my chest as I tear through them. My vision blurs red with rage, every movement driven by pure instinct and fury. A dark elf's spell grazes my shoulder, but I barely feel it.

"Kill the beast!" one of them shouts.

I laugh, the sound hollow and broken. "You can't kill me. Not anymore." My tail lashes out again, sweeping three of them off their feet. "Nothing matters anymore."

Their magic crackles around me, but I push through it, my scales smoking from the impacts. Each spell that hits me only fuels my rage. I don't care about the pain. I don't care about anything except reaching that cliff edge.

"Get out of my way!" I roar, crushing another dark elf beneath my coils. Their bones crack like twigs, their screams music to my ears.

Finally, I reach the precipice. The drop stretches endlessly below, disappearing into mist and shadow. My heart pounds against my ribs as I lean over the edge.

"Vera!" My voice echoes down the chasm, swallowed by the void. "VERA!"

Only silence answers. My claws dig into the rock face, crumbling it beneath my grip. "What have I done?" The words come out as a broken whisper. "I can't... I can't lose you. Not like this."

The remaining dark elves gather behind me, their magic humming in the air, but I barely notice them. All I can see is that endless drop, all I can hear is her final curse echoing in my mind.

"Please," I whisper into the abyss. "Please, Vera. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

The remaining dark elves circle me, their magic crackling in the air. My muscles coil tight, ready to strike. Let them come. Let them feel what true hatred tastes like.

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