The soulmate gift

Chapter 34: Goodbye... for now.

We return to the tournament to find a healed Tristan, a mad-okay fuming- Bellona and an indifferent Drakon sitting on chairs around a table with pizza on it. I give Chris a quizzical look and he shrugs.

Bellona wanted some pizza, said it would be the only thing keeping her from killing you.

"I'll kill you." Lona snarls as I take a tentative step forward towards the table.

Won't seem to stop her.

"I'm sorry about what happened, I wasn't thinking straight." I show her my palms.

"Bullshit."

"She's right." Tristan says curtly.

"No, she isn't. She had no right to dislocate both of your shoulders, this was supposed to be a lighthearted competition to get our minds off everything and you nearly killed him." She jumps up from her seat and goes to attack me before she abruptly stops in her tracks staring at something behind me.

Through the mirrors I notice an older version of Lona standing there with a hand up, warning her past self to be careful or something.

"I didn't mean to hurt him. He insulted me and something deep inside me answered. Now, let's get this over with so I can return home." I sigh as I lazily rub my eye. I'm too tired for this shit.

"You are home." She answers.

"No, I'm not."

"You're going back to earth." Drakon gapes.

"I am."

"Why?" Tristan asks mid-bite, waving his half-eaten piece of pizza in the air.

"I need a break-a vacation- if you will." I plaster that insufferable smirk on my face. They don't need to know the real reasons for my escapade. No one does. They would stop me if they did.

"So do we. But you don't see us taking it, Your Majesty." Lona snarls. I now see what she means by the fact that demons are cruel and vicious. Something in her eyes gleams, something that's promising my death.

If it weren't for Chris and the fact that my life is tied to this realm-I would let her do it.

I would let her kill me.

I would let her kill one of the foulest things in the world.

"That's enough." Christopher says firmly from behind me, baring his teeth. He takes a hold of my hand and holds me so tightly that you'd think he's trying to reassure himself that I'm really there.

"Or what? You'll kill me, too?" She laughs. A laugh that I know all too well. Seeing as it's been my core defense lately.

"Bell, stop it. I saw something change in her. Not her eyes, her wings, her tail. But her. She didn't control it. She couldn't control it. Stop treating her like a wild dog and sit down." Tristan surprises me by saying.

"Why are you defending her?" She growls.

"Because I know what it's like to hide behind a mask when you feel like your world is crumbling around you. When you want to give up. When you feel like you have nothing going for you anymore." He takes a long deep breath. "I did that on purpose. I angered her on purpose. I tried to make her feel an emotion. Any emotion that wasn't a crave for bloodshed-for revenge. So, I angered-not her- the beast inside of her. Now stop insulting my friend." He says quietly. His mate gapes down at him.

I suddenly have the urge to hug Tristan. Tightly.

Lona looks at me as though she's seeing me for the first time. She takes in my puffy red eyes. My tear-stained cheeks. The way I can't seem to stay still. The stupid smile.