Page 8 of Madness Behind the Mask
Needing to talk to him, I start to shift despite how stupid of a decision it is. In human form, I’ll heal slower, and if he doesn’t back off, he could easily kill me. But I cannot lose him today too. Cannot lose the last of Siome’s family; he is my brother too.
As my body rips itself apart, tearing flesh and tendons and bone, he rolls on top of me and bares his teeth in my face. The stink of his breath is the first thing to fill my human lungs.
“Vance,” I rasp as he looks up, preparing to jump off me now that I am too weak to hold him back. “She’s a healer.”
Hismuscles tense, then start to shake before he drops his head to mine. A low whine rumbles from his chest, and I press my forehead against his wet nose, the comfort of touch as dominantto us inourhuman formsas well as when we’re our wolves.
Hemovesoff me, and I twist onto my stomach to look at Sau. She’s still huddled against the wall, her eyes wide and bright with tears unshed.
“Heal her,” I command as I pull myself to my feet, my body aching and bruised and in more pieces than I know what to do with.
Siome and I are childhood sweethearts. Every memory I have is deeply entwined with her. She is the reason I became alpha, the reason I fight for a better world. She is my better half, and I am not above begging to save her.
“Please,” I say as I drop to my knees in front of Sau. “Heal her.”
She looks at me, her green gaze so terrified and young. “Idon’t know how.”
The pain in my chest twists under the drips of acid thatarepoured from the honesty of her words. Today is her wedding day, meaning she’s only just hit puberty, only just had her ascension. She’s barely come into her powers,hasn’t learned how to control them,but I don’t care about logic and truth.
I just want her to heal my mate.
Grabbing her by the arm, I yank her over to Siome.
I try not to look at the beautiful red eyes that used to be so bright. But their dullnesscalls to melike aflame to a bug, and I cannot help but stare into the eyes I fear will never light up again. They watch mewith so much pain, and I shove Sau down onto her knees.
Dropping beside her, I snatch both her hands and press them over Siome’s heart.
“Heal. Her,” I growl, my voice cracking. “Or I swear to all the gods, I will cut you apart piece by piece so your Family can hear your screams. When they come for you, I will butcher them until everyone you love is dead.Their blood will be on your hands.”
Her head bows down, her shoulders trembling as she sucks in harsh breaths. “I...can’t,” she whispers.
“An…”Siome rasps, and my eyes thin with the twisting of my face, my heart.
“Don’t talk. Save your strength,” I plea as I release one of Sau’s hands to cup my mate’s cheek. It is cold and too pale, a woman dying.
No.
She can’t.
“I love you…” Struggle lines carve deep into her face as I rub my thumb over her cheek, begging her to stop, to not give up. Not yet. We have a healer. We can save her.
“Siome…”
“But our babies…” Her face twists in the manifestation ofmy own pain, a mirror, a painting of terrible emotionwith crashing waves and drowning menunder the gray skies of a winter storm.“They…need me…”
“Siome…no,Ineed you. Our pups...they’reallgone.” I crack.Break.Utterly fucking shatter as those words are ripped from my lips, the truth hitting the air, the grief hitting every part of me.I want to yell at her for breaking from her position. I want to ask her why she fucking put herself in danger while carrying our pups.She should’ve stayed back. She should’ve stayedsafe.For me. For them.
My eyes lift to the partial fetuses behind her, resting under the red twists of her intestines. A few of their faces arefrozenin pain, and my heart jumps into myclosedthroat on a rising scream.I want to yell at her for doing this to us. I want to shake her with my grief.
But instead, I dropmy gaze back to my mateandroll my lips in, trapping the cries building in my chest. She needs my strength right now. She needs –
“I must go...to them…” Her eyes drift close, and I dig my fingers into her face as a low-pitched whine comes from me. Vance joins me in my vocalized grief as he paces back and forth,his claws flexingevery time he glances at Sau.
“No,Siome. You have to stay here.Please.We can heal you.”
She doesn’t say anything as she holds my gaze, but I can see her answer, the fading of the last rays of light that steal all the warmthfrom this world.
My heart trips over my words as I beg her to stay. I need her to stay. “Siome, I can’t do this without you. Don’t leave me.Please. Please don’t leave me.” Leaning forward, I touch my forehead to hers. “I need you, baby. I need you.”
