Chapter 121

Helen POV

I collapsed in the shower my legs tired and weary. I coughed, finally free of my mates bruises kisses. He wasn’t kidding when he said we weren’t done, and I can’t determine what lead a little bit of sex meant to heal me, into hours of endless passion.

I leaned on the wall to keep upright but exhaustion was taking over.

Justin lathered himself up with more soap, doing the same to me after we both drowned ourselves in come and sweat.

“You are amazing, Helen,” he breathed, kneeling beside me under the hot, raining shower water. “So, very amazing. Do you feel better, baby?”

I nodded, exasperated and out of breath. “Yes, Alpha. I—I can’t catch—catch my breath.”

He pet my hair back, damp and warm with the clean shower water and hints of soap still in my scalp. Justin kneaded it into my long hair, washing it thoroughly, as though I hadn’t done it well enough earlier.

“You can go to bed, mate. You’ll need your rest. Tomorrow is the last day of celebration. It’s also the full moon.”

I nodded, reaching for my mate and hanging my tired arms around his shoulders. He finally sat down with me, holding me, and kissed my cheek. We finally seemed normal again, though the blisters on my wrists from the restraints were pretty bold now.

He was still unsure about my loyalty to him.

I caved into his arms and sank against his chest. He lifted me slowly and before we made it to bed, I fell soundly asleep into his strong arms. I could feel the bed underneath me at last, but I never felt Justin lay beside me.

I dreamed that night, more vivid dreams than I’ve ever experienced in my life.

“You’re the Lycan’s Luna,” the figure before me growled.

In my dream, I was knelt on the ground and naked, though the chains and ropes and cuffs that covered my body left little to see. I had a feeling this unknown silhouette would even care to see any of my body anyways.

“You know you can’t carry his pups, you’re too weak and you wouldn’t make it.”

I shook my head. “I love my mate. I want to have his pups. We will be a family.”

“He doesn’t love you,” the figure snarled. “How could he? You stabbed him. Everyone saw it! The world knows that you tried to kill the Last Lycan and murder your mate.”

I sniffled, holding back from crying more than I knew I already was. “You’re wrong. He will love me again.”

“He will see through this charade. He will let me kill you first, just to get you out of the way!”

“SHUT UP!” I screamed, my voice carrying through the void of my dream. “I love my mate! You will never defeat us!”

“I already have.”

My cheek was met with a sure and stiff slap. I jolted awake, feeling dizzy as I struggled to sit up. Blood covered my lips and chin, draining from my nostrils and dripping down my throat.

“Whoa, easy,” a familiar and soft voice said.

Hands latched onto my shoulders and I flinched out of them, trying to crawl away until I could see straight again. My head met a wall and I fell forward, cowering in the corner of the bedroom that Justin has commandeered in the estate.

“Hey, relax, little wolf,” Russo purred.

I blinked back heavy, frightened tears to see the Fae standing before me. His glare was wondering and confused, his hand smeared with my blood that streaks down my neck and chest.

“You’re safe, Luna. What happened to you?”

I shook my head, my body trembling as well. “Ba—bad dr—dream.”

“I can see that.” He looked over his shoulder, back at the empty room and the door propped open into the hallway. “The Lycan is still out with his beta. They’re running a few groups of warriors around this new territory, making sure another rogue never gets close to you.”

I nodded with his words but missed my mate dearly. “I need him,” I panted. “The voice in the dream… it was the same voice in the book from the library.”

His brows knit in response. “What book are you talking about? Books don’t talk, little Luna.”

“The book about the huntsman. It spread this blue light and it was talking.”

He flinched, as though trying to hide it still, but the shock was well written across his features. I studied his odd response to that title. Why did everyone know about the huntsman but me? Even the last Fae seems to know…

“You can’t talk about him out loud,” Russo whispered. “You have to be very, very careful if the huntsman is coming for you and your mate, Luna.”

I tried to wipe the blood away quicker and thankfully Russo found a damp towel and rubbed it over my chin and neck. I patted the blood away from the mysterious nosebleed and wanted to read further into Russo’s understanding of the huntsman.

The Fae walked across the room, facing the fireplace, and watched the fire crinkle at his feet. “I told you that my species, my entire family and the flock we lived in… I told you we all died.”

I nodded, leaning forward but too weak to stand from the corner. “Yeah. You said that Fae’s were territorial and that you fought over land and resources, right?”

“That’s correct, Luna. But I never did tell you what species wiped us out.”

I always assumed it was the vampires who killed of his family and his entire species, but I think it’s tacky that I never really asked about it. I finally found my strength.

I stood, crossed the room, and wavered in front of the fireplace beside him. He stared into the flames deeply, his wings heavy and lazy behind him as they swept against the floor where he stood.

“Please don’t tell me it was—” I started.

He nodded before I could even ask the question. He had tears in his eyes and wiped them away as quick as he could, but it was too late. I could already see that he was too far upset to pull back and calm down.

“I’m sorry,” I panted. “I just don’t understand it, though. How is this possible? It’s just one man, right? How strong could he be?”

“He killed off a whole species,” Russo whispered breathlessly. “And he will do it again.”

“I won’t let him,” I said, firm. “Even if I have to give myself up to—”

“No!”

Russo spun around and latched his hands onto my arms, squeezing a pressure against my frame like he wants me to crack and break. I hissed and threatened to pull back at the risk of him breaking my collarbone but I stayed put.

The sadness in his eyes made me stay.

“You will never, ever win against the huntsman. You have to know that if you give yourself to him, he won’t just torture you. He will still kill your mate and the entire pack. He will come for my wizards too, given the proximity to your pack, and he will come after me as well. You can’t let that happen.”

I nodded, though he pretty much just put the weight of the entire world on my back.

“Of course, Russo. I won’t do that to my mate, to the other wolves, wizards—and you, of course.”

“Thank you, little Luna,” he hummed, yanking me into his chest and throwing his arms around me. “You’re a good mate, and a great woman, wolf girl.”