Page 48 of Destined to the Lycan
His shoulders slouched, and he appeared defeated. That took me for a loop. This vulnerable reaction from such an intimidating, powerful, apex predator seemed impossible. He turned to look at the open door of the cabin behind him. Bitterness, anger, and sorrow flashed in quick succession over his otherworldly features.
He glanced back at the ground then appeared lost in thought. I bit back the urge to try to further convince him. My gut told me that he had already come to a conclusion—and a positive one for us—but needed a bit more time to make his peace with it.
“You must counter the poison killing her,” he said at last in an almost emotionless voice, his eyes still lowered. “In many ways, you are Ranael’s son. A tamer version of his snake’s venom runs in your veins. You’re letting her die by denying it to her. It is too weak to cure her but concentrated enough to extend her life for a few more days.”
I froze, my mind reeling. Obviously, I had always known that my blood, seed, and other bodily fluids contained some form of poison due to Ranael. But never once did it cross my mind that it could be the same as one of his two venoms. If the bite of the Cursed Demon Wolf’s snake tail could neutralize the poison currently coursing inside Amara’s veins, then I could potentially do the same for her.
“Are you telling me to give her my seed?” I exclaimed, still stunned.
To my shock, Lyall bared his teeth at me, every single one of them lengthening into sharp daggers while his features twisted into a terrifying demon, ready to kill. In that instant, I genuinely believed he was going to tear me to pieces.
He was truly in love with Amara and couldn’t stand the thought of another’s hands on her.
Time stood still while Lyall battled his inner demon. I lowered my gaze so as not to provoke him further. He was breathing heavily, his fingers twitching with the urge to stab me with their vicious claws. Although he didn’t retract them, the doppelganger finally took a couple of steps back, his features still twisted with fury.
“Fail her again, and there will be no end to the torment I’ll inflict upon you, pup,” Lyall hissed, his voice sounding almost doubled. “Do not travel the woods tonight. Sleep here and leave at first light. Follow the blue trail to the path.”
“What blue trail?” I asked.
He stared at me with something akin to hatred but didn’t respond. The lightning stripes under his skin began to glow, and he shifted into a giant bird I had never seen before and took flight. Moments later, the illusion faded.
Gone was the lush forest all but hugging the cabin. Instead, I was standing in front of a cave in a clearing. Our two horses idled nonchalantly outside. But the scent of Amara hitting me hard was all that retained my attention.
I shouted her name and ran into the cave.
Chapter 11
Amara
After what felt like an eternity of deafening silence, the cozy woodhouse suddenly faded around me, as did the invisible force keeping me shackled in my seat. Except, gone was the comfortable chair I had been trapped in. Instead, I found myself sitting on the large rock, surrounded by a cave. It shared many similarities to the one Remus took us to on the first night of our journey.
But before I could dwell further on whether this was a new illusion or a return to reality, Remus’s voice calling out my name startled me. I jumped to my feet only to see him barge in. His face lit up as intense relief descended over his handsome features.
“My mate!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.
Arms spread wide, he took a couple of steps towards me only to stop dead in his tracks with an air of confusion and hurt when I backed away from him. I didn’t need a mirror to know what kind of suspicious expression was plastered all over my face.Understanding suddenly dawned on him, and he took on an air of sympathy as he smiled at me.
“All is well, Amara. It’s me, your Remus.”
My reaction had obviously been instinctive. But even before he spoke, I realized it was indeed him. I ran towards him as he finished his sentence and all but crashed into him as I threw myself into his arms. Stunned, he caught me effortlessly and didn’t resist when I crushed his lips in an almost desperate kiss. He responded in kind, his strong arms holding me tightly as if he feared I would disappear.
The kiss ended at last, and he kept my face between both his hands, studying my features as if to make sure it truly was me and that all was well.
“Are you okay, my Flame?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m alright,” he replied, before frowning. “But how do you know it is truly me and not him?”
My smile broadened, and I caressed his cheek. “Your scent and the fact that you’re naked confirmed your identity.”
He blinked, baffled by that response, which made me chuckle.
“By the road, when Lyall first approached me, I realized that he wasn’t you because he was dressed. You removed all your clothes, except your underwear, before you shifted when the beasts attacked. He walked out of the woods fully clothed.”
He nodded slowly, a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.
“I can see that. He either didn’t think of it or deliberately chose to take that risk as he likely has never seen me naked before and therefore wouldn’t be able to replicate me in the nude, especially my groin or any scar I may have,” Remus said pensively.
