Laurel should have never been born, and yet she exists. A tragic event led her to a path of darkness, revenge, blood, and death. Allies turned into foes, and hell soon consumed her.
Friends became family and helped her heal and live. She left a pas...
Time had stopped. The curse was making fun of her again. No escape, no more running. It was pointless. James was in pain and agony because of her, and by trying to fix it, she caused him more pain. They were linked, mentally and physically, and when she rejected him, their bond became powerful and more prominent.
She could now see her great-grandfather differently. She thought he was cruel to kill his mate, but, in reality, it must have taken all his power and will to kill her. What if it was her great-grandfather the one who saved his mate after all? What if he had realized something that she hadn't acknowledged? She couldn't break her link with James. They were doomed to belong to each other.
However, her priority at that moment was different. She had to save James. A silver bullet was in his heart, and every second was taking him away from life. Until this moment, she thought the only way to save him was to stay away from him. What if he was only safe with her at his side?
She saw Charles extending his hand to her, waiting for her to follow him.
''At what cost?'' she thought. Lyra was telling her to do the right thing. ''You are better than that, Laurel,'' she said to her. ''Make the right choice.''
Laurel pulled her sword aside and extended her hand. She looked straight into Charles' eyes, and when she saw him smirk, she kicked him straight to the abdomen and sent him crashing to the wall.
What happened next was insane. Lena and some other werewolves got in through the windows, flying glasses everywhere. Everyone started fighting, drops of blood traveling and smashing to the ground. Alex, James' Beta, was beside him trying to remove the silver bullet. She sprinted to them and saw in terror the lake of blood that was covering the ground around them.
''Do something!'' Alex shouted. ''I don't know what you are, but you have to find a way to save him,'' he said and finally managed to remove the bullet with his claws. A fountain of blood kept running from the wound with no intention to stop.
''He can't heal that fast. He'll bleed to death.''
Someone came behind her, trying to hit her, but Lena came to her rescue. She kicked the man at his head, strong enough to confuse him, and with a swift move, he snapped his head and killed him.
''What can I do?'' she asked after finishing the werewolf.
''Make sure Charles doesn't escape,'' she answered and focused on James.
One hand covering his wound, the other caressing his face. An idea came up but could she pull it off? She had never tried it before to such an extent, but lately, she kept knowing new things and mastering new powers. She could heal her palms. How much more difficult would it be to heal a deadly wound? It was her only hope.
''It must work,'' she said and braced herself with faith.
''Stay back,'' she warned Alex and put both of her hands where James' heart was.
She cleared away her mind and focused only on him. The clash, the shouts, the claws that ripped the enemy, and the cries of the wounded faded, as if someone had turned off a breaker.
Soon she felt a strong wave of magic engulfing her, and she felt more confident. She thought of the first time she laid her eyes on him, his touch, the little fires that made her skin feel alive again, the way her body tensed when he was near. The wound closed slowly, and she felt his chest under her hands, moving rhythmically every time greater than before. ''You can do this!'' Lyra motivated her. She transferred to another world where nothing else mattered, only him. She was getting tired, but his steadier breath made her try harder. An aura of power surged from her, and finally, she let herself calm down. She removed her hands from his chest and waited for what seemed hours.
He slowly opened his eyes.
''It worked!'' she exclaimed with surprise and relief. ''He is okay,'' she said to Lyra and got up. She scanned the room and searched for someone specific through the mist of pain and fight. He found him near the door. Lena was fighting with Charles. They were both bleeding, but Lena seemed to have the upper hand. Maybe Laurel's kick was stronger than she thought.
She took her sword from its case and attacked him. She started pushing him away from the room, along the hall, and towards the exit. He had a sword in his hands since his gun was no longer of use after his failed attempts to hurt her and Lena. The fight outside had stopped because there was nothing to be heard. Stumbling over dead bodies and putting all her power into her movements, she chased him to the exit.
''It's over, Charles,'' she shouted between her hits.
She kept attacking him. His face bruised and bleeding, his arm cut, and his chest sliced. She cornered him at a cluster of trees. She hit his hand, and the sword flew in the air and landed two meters away from them. He tried to catch it, but it was pointless. All his attempts to hit her were in vain. She was at her best, and they both knew it. Saving James gave her a new meaning, another reason to fight harder. She took a deep breath, raised her sword one final time, and lined it with his heart. The blade sliced his skin, and she kept pushing deeper until he screamed.
''Lucy is alive!''
She stopped, the sword left only inches from his heart. Her look cold, ready to kill.
''Stop lying.''
''You know I've never lied to you, Laurel.''
''There is always a good chance to start to.''
She tensed her grip around her sword and kept pushing it into his body.
''Your mother lied to you,'' he said in a final attempt. ''Your sister wasn't murdered.''
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