Chapter 138

Helen POV

My wolf had been muted for hours and I didn’t feel any less dilapidated since we escaped to the oasis. I felt nauseous and weary, my head spinning as he opened my door and tried to help me out of the car.

I sank to my knees in the dirt, the world slow moving and foggy. I spotted a little light though that looked familiar and Freya rammed right into my forehead, colliding with me at such a speed that we both flinched on impact.

I caught her before she hit the ground and Justin paced away from my side so he could greet Randy and Russo in the doorway of the estate. Freya looked just as worn as I had and I felt worse for her than I did myself.

I blinked slow, her eyes tracing my bruised and battered features in shame.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded but stayed silent with her mouth agape in sad shock. She brushed off her wings, straightened her back, and stood on my palm confidently.

“Do you know what happened with Ezequiel? Was he rejected from True Mates?”

Her little head cocks sideways and she shrugs. “They don’t tell me anything.”

I grumbled, searching for Randy and Justin but they kept their backs toward me. I could hardly hear anything between them. My hearing had become less magnified, as well as my long-distance vision. I felt so mortal and pathetic.

Russo came over to me first, holding his hand out for Freya. She skipped over to his possession and then he helped me stand, his eyes kind but weary. Everyone looked exhausted, even the wolves running boundary protection.

The hit of the Huntsman had obviously gotten to a lot of people.

No one was immune.

I leaned onto Russo for support until the Alpha and Beta of True Mates finally came back to my side. Justin took hold my hips in his arm and I gasped, almost feeling him break my bones in response. He loosened his grip and then stepped back when I was able to hold myself up without assistance.

“You’re too strong,” I panted, shaking my head. “I—I can’t—”

He shook his head, something somber and frail in his posture. He slouched and stalked off into the house, his head hung in nothing but shame.

“Please, don’t take it personal,” Randy hummed.

He had the same rings of purple around his eyes that Russo seemed to acquire as well. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we’ve been gone for two years and everyone aged, but it was purely the stress.

“Tell me what happened with Ezequiel,” I begged. “Is he okay? What did he tell you, Randy?”

The beta shook his head in refute. “I can’t just tell you these things, Luna. I’m sorry.”

“Why not? I deserve to know—he took the pixies to William. I want to know why!”

He staggered back a few steps, uneasy with my volume. “It’s complicated.”

When Randy finally gave in and walked off, I looked to Russo, my arms hiked over my chest. He is an intracule part of this problem as well and I don’t care of Randy is keeping secrets, probably under Justin’s orders, everyone knew I should be involved in this talk.

“Please, Fae. Please tell me what happened.”

He gave in much quicker, leaning forward to my heigh so he could whisper, “He said something about a wizard came to him at night and made him do it.”

My heart leapt right out of my chest. The Huntsman said Juden was alive so that also means his handy wizard could be as well. He was so powerful, forcing me to stab my mate, that if he put Ezequiel under a spell as well, then maybe I could prove I was telling the truth!”

“What did Randy do with him?”

Russo narrowed a look on me with hesitation. “Barracks.”

I turned to run but instead I hit a solid wall of muscle. My head spun as I collected my footing, looking up to see Justin standing just around the side of me. His arms were crossed and Russo gave me a shrug, stalking off as he stroked Freya’s precise, dainty wings.

I bit my lip toward my mate, wanting to argue about his lies and the obvious fact he was going to try and stop me from seeing Ezequiel, but that didn’t matter. I wanted to prove my innocents once and for all.

“Let. Me. Go. See. Him.”

Justin showed his teeth in warning but without feeling Joy or our wolfen instincts, I had no urge to submit. I stood up straighter, wanting to appear firm, but I was still a foot shorter than he.

“You are going to bed. That super poison can do a lot of damage to you, Luna. You need to rest.”

“Did you subdue my wolf so I wouldn’t be able to fight, or so the Huntsman would stop aiming for me when I sleep?”

He only shook his head, pushing me lightly toward the door. I stopped, standing my ground firmly between the house and my furious mate.

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with, Helen. Ezequiel led those pixies to a terrible death. You heard it yourself. Stop looking for loopholes in everything and just do what I say for once.”

I felt hurt, not only by his solid tone, but also his abrasive words. “What do you mean by loopholes, Justin? If he had the same experience as me, then you need to know there is a wizard out there with unimaginable powers and that would prove I never meant to stab—”

“ENOUGH.”

I flinched, his Lycan volume unlike anything I’ve heard on whimsy, mortal ears. I staggered back a step, feeling dizzy with the pressure of his voice. He came forward and grabbed my hands in his jaw, daring to kiss me but stopping when I whimpered.

Even his kind grip is too much for me.

“You just don’t want to hear the truth.”

I turned out of his grasp and intended to run to our room inside, but I was too weary to pick up my pace. He caught me in the hallway, the look of turmoil swirling all over my mate. The battle outside of our pack was debilitating enough.

This struggle wasn’t making it easier on either one of us.

“I love you, mate. I am just trying to protect us.”

I furrowed. “Protect us from what, Justin? What’s the harm of talking to Ezequiel if he can back up my story about being forced to stab you.”

He bit his lip, hesitated, and then exhaled longingly. “If he can’t back up your story, and there is no evil, all-powerful wizard out there, then I will have to go through this pain all over again. I will have to relive your betrayal and I can’t do that.”

“Then let me talk to him,” I panted, wanting to get on my knees and pray for him to believe me, but the moon goddess didn’t seem to want to give us any easy battles. I doubted she would start now.

“You go talk to him then,” he grumbles. “I’ll be in our bedroom when you’re doing trying to prove… well, whatever it is your trying to prove.”

He sulked and walked away, though I wanted to chase after him. I couldn’t.

I had to prove my innocents.