“Lucy?” she asked. I waved her off, and she walked over and gripped my arm before jerking away from me.
“What?”
“Your skin. It’s so hot, Lucy,” she told me, rushing to the back of the car. She grabbed a water bottle from her bag and handed it to me. I watched as she sniffed the air. My hands shook terribly as I twisted the cap off. I chugged the water down thirstily, and Melana observed me before taking it from me and drinking some.
“How long have you been feeling like that?”
“Since we left,” I muttered, leaning against the car’s hood.
“You should have said something. You don’t look too good,” she said nervously, reaching out and touching my face. My skin felt clammy and sticky.
“Have you gone into heat yet?” she asked, and I raised an eyebrow at her.
“More vampire, I don’t have a—” My words cut off as it dawned on me.Lucille. I had a wolf now.
“Shit, we need to go back now.” Melana says.
“What? No, we have already come this far,” I told her, staggering toward her. My surroundings spun, and I lurched forward, my stomach contents spilling onto the ground as I heaved violently.
“Nope, we are going back.”
“I am fine,” I gasped out.
“No, Lucy, you’re not fine. You are in heat, and you need your mates. You know it can kill you. You’re a mutation, our wolves are weaker than an average werewolf in that state, and we can’t transition through heat by ourselves, not without our mates.”
Chapter eighty-four
Rayan
I tried to open my eyes, and I could hear a voice talking to me, listening to the people in the room as I tried to remember what had happened. Forcing my eyes open, Josie hovered above me. She seemed frantic when it all came back to me. What Beryl had done and my arm burned. I blinked slowly. My entire body felt heavy, and I could hear crying, making my eyes look down when I felt movement on my chest. I tried to move my arm, but Josie held it in the air.
“You bloody bitch! He could have bled to death,” Josie snarled.
“Shame he didn’t. Would save me having to deal with this mate bond drama,” Beryl said somewhere around me. My hand moved, and I tried to feel for my brother. Josie gripped my other hand, placing it on my chest, and I felt Ryden wiggle under my hand and let out a shaky breath.
“He is right there. He is safe,” Josie whispered, and I turned my head. My vision blurred when suddenly the door opened.
“Finally, what took you so long?” Beryl snapped. A girl younger than me with her hair in pigtails walked in, holding a man’s hand. She looked around the room before looking up at the man.
“Daddy, why are we here? You said I could see mommy,” she said.
“Not now, Emily. Soon. We have things to do first. Go sit over there,” he said, pointing to a crate off to the side.
He led the girl over to the crate, and as he stepped closer, I got a better look at him and realized it was Alpha Jamie.The girl must be his daughter, the one Beryl was talking about.
“No, bring her here, hurry, hurry,” Beryl said while waving the girl forward. Alpha Jamie waved the girl to come to him, and she glanced at her father before hesitating.
“Emily, now!” he snapped at her, making her feet move faster. She chewed on her thumb, a rabbit stuffie tucked under her arm. Beryl moved toward her, and she took a step back, only for her father to grip her shoulders.
“Give me your hand, child,” Beryl said, reaching for her hand, but she clutched it to her chest. Beryl sneered at the girl before grabbing her toy rabbit and tossing it toward where I lay.
“You won’t be needing that,” she snapped, reaching for the girl’s hand, her dagger clutched in her other hand. She started to struggle, and her father gripped her elbow.
“Daddy, no!” she screamed, and I looked away, unable to watch, but her scream and crying told me all I needed to know. Looking up, Josie was also looking away, her face pale.
“It’s just a scratch. Quit your crying!” Alpha Jamie snapped at his daughter, and I bit back a growl that threatened to tear out me. My arm was suddenly healing, and Josie gasped before letting my arm go. I clutched my brother, shocked at my ability to heal. I had no wolf; it shouldn’t be possible yet.
Sitting up, Josie helped me, and I clutched my brother to my chest, leaning against the wall. I felt woozy, and my vision still blurred. Turning my head, the girl was watching me, clutching her hand that was dripping blood. Her rabbit was next to my leg. I reached for it, wanting her to stop crying. Meanwhile, Jamie and Beryl spoke above the cauldron, looking into its contents.