Bullet Between My Eyes

22

The next few days have consisted of Hailey entertaining me. She practically moved into the dungeon with me since she like never left. I was now eating without having Hailey beg me. She rewarded me by bringing card games, chess, and other stuff to keep me occupied.

She'd try to bring up Lara, but I'd shoot her down everytime. I had no interest in seeing that girl EVER again. Hailey flinched whenever I said I wanted nothing to to do with her. I used Hailey's eagerness to divulge what the council members meant about the villages being attacked.

She disclosed that there had been werewolf attacks throughout the countryside. They apparently caught wind of my imprisonment here. A brazen alpha (sounds like my husband Bruno) instigated these attacks and slaughtered entire villages. One of his pack mates was captured and was tortured for information. He gave up the fact that I had been captured and that they wouldn't stop until I was returned.

"So she was pissed I didn't reveal my true identity, huh." I rolled my eyes.

"She was pissed you were married."

"Huh?" Hailey just nodded. "And that gave her a right to beat me?!" Hailey just sighed and shook her head.

"She didn't have a choice-"

"We all have choices, Hailey!" I stood up. I was fully healed now. "And she made her choice." I venomously spoke.

"Mia-"

"Hailey. Mia." We turned to see Taemin and Lexi. "She's requesting you and you don't have an option this time." Taemin slowly spoke.

Hailey sighed before standing up. She motioned for me to follow them, but I refused. I was not going to see her. Hailey and Lexi begged me to come, but there was no way I was freely going. I did say "freely," right? Okay because Taemin threw me over his shoulder and sped me to Lara's study.

I glared at him when he placed me down. Taemin only gave me an impish smile in return. It didn't take long for the two girls to arrive as well. I heard the fumbling of papers, so I turned to see Lara standing up. She was about to move, but my glare held her in place. She looked down and sighed before motioning everyone out the room.

Hailey gave me an encouraging smile before closing the door. Lara was struggling with words, so she resorted to staring at me. I'm sure she could sense the steam coming out my ears. I was livid while she was crushed. Well, what did she think was gonna happen?! I'd jump into her arms?!

"You're healed." She broke the silence. "I wanted to see you right when you-"

"I'm healed no thanks to you." I cut her off. "Not only did you whip me, but you left me alone to rot in that cell. I got no medical attention except from Hailey. I could've died." She flinched at the word.

"I didn't want to keep you there. I wanted to bring you to the med bay right away, but I couldn't. I still had members here and if-"

"It's all about appearances for you, isn't it? You whipped me because that's what they wanted you to do. You're a weak ruler who is desperate to please everyone." I jabbed her with my finger.

"I am not weak." Her face contorted in anger.

"Yes, you are-" She slammed me into the wall before I could finished. We continued staring at each other. Me with hate and her with pleading eyes. "Just kill me." Her breath hitched at my plea. "Just end my suffering, please." I stared at her.

Before she could react, I grabbed a silver knife and placed it over my heart. I then placed her hand around the hilt while wrapping my hand around hers. I looked into her eyes as I pushed the blade against my skin. Lara quickly realized what I was doing and struggled to pull back, but I was fighting for her to end my suffering.

"Please, kill me!" I shouted at her.

Lara quickly threw the blade across the room. Her hand was still wrapped around my throat. All she had to do was crush it and I would be released from all this pain.

"I-I can't." She slammed her fist into the wall. "I've been told to kill you, yet I can't bring myself to do it." She spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm too weak." Her voice shook.

"Why can't you?!" I demanded.

"I-I just can't. Please, don't pry-"

"TELL ME WHY?!" I demanded.

"YOU KNOW WHY!" She shouted back. "And I can't accept it." She grunted out. "We can never happen." It sounded like she was more trying to convince herself rather than me. "I have a war to consider and you- you're the enemy. I can't." She pushed herself off me.

"What do you mean?" My voice shook, fearing the worst.

Lara turned to me with fire in her eyes. She marched towards me, making me step backwards until my back hit the wall. She placed her hands on either side of me, trapping me. She stared at me with coldness.

"I reject our mate bond." She seethed.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the searing pain in my chest. I screamed in pain as I fell to the ground. Lara seemed to be feeling the same amount of pain as me. It felt like my soul was on fire and being ripped a part. I clawed at my chest, hoping to find some reprieve.

I began chocking since it was becoming difficult to breathe. The pain felt worse than a heart attack could ever. Hailey, Lexi, and Taemin burst through the doors. Their eyes widened in shock. Hailey and Lexi appeared at my side while Taemin checked on Lara. I heard Alec's voice and saw him immediately at his sister's side.

Hailey tore open my shirt and gasped. I looked down to see my entire chest was covered in black bruises. I followed Lexi's gaze to see that Lara's chest looked identical to mine. Hailey grabbed my hand and allowed me to squeeze her as I cried out. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I fearfully looked at Hailey because I felt like I was legit dying.

Hailey then placed a hand around my throat. She began to carefully squeeze it. I didn't know what she was doing until my vision began to get hazy. The pain became numb as I slipped out of consciousness.