Enchanted

CHAPTER 44

Eros' POV :

"Quick !"

"I'm trying, Alpha ", Ariel said desperately. We were lost in the portal in an endless loop. The stupid Fae couldn't find the door to our Enchanted Land. We went to Africa, Indonesia, Uruguay, the Amazon Forest, the Arctic Circle , the Sahara Desert, but not the Enchanted Forest.

"Getting angry would get us nowhere, Eros", Flynn said in a quiet voice, but I could see him being fidgety as well. Knowing that our pack was under attack and we were not there was burning us away from inside. That feeling of helplessness was increasing by the second.

"Found it !" Ariel exclaimed loudly.

Finally !!!

We quickly walked out the door but it did not look like the forest we knew.

"Are you sure we're in the right place ?", Flynn questioned, because everything around us was either burning down or was in ashes.

"Yes, we are", I answered him when I saw the plaza up ahead.

"Come on."

I started running towards it, my view was obstructed with the dust polluted air. The dark clouds above kept thundering loudly, indicating it was going to rain anytime soon. We reached the plaza in seconds but there was too much going on. Houses were destroyed, debris covered the whole area, rogues lying dead on the ground. Thankfully, I did not see any of my warrior wolf, which meant they were either alright or were taken to get treatment.

Flynn spotted a group of rogue wolves escaping from a personal portal and started running towards them, while my eyes gravitated to the one thing that mattered to me. There she was, lying on the ground while Ryan kept shouting frantically at her. There was a small kid crying besides her. I walked closer, the view of my mate getting clearer. Her snow white hoodie was turning red with blood, her knees scrapped and oozing blood, her thick blue hair was matted with dirt and soil. Her hands and forearms looked almost burnt, while the skin on her palms was torn, bleeding continuously.

I collapsed before her, not believing my eyes.

I failed her, again.

Her barely open eyes fell on me, her lips turned up a fraction.

"Eros."

BELLE POV

The moment Ryan got my cue, he shifted into his wolf and started attacking the rogues while I attacked those running towards us. My hands were screaming at me to stop but I didn't. The strong blowing wind worked in my favour,increasing the impact of my attack. The wolves crashed into trees ,taking down the trees with them. A sudden scream made me lose my concentration. I turned to my left to see Riley crying while a rogue wolf held his neck in his throat. Looking for Ryan to help Riley, I saw him on my other side, fighting off three rogues on his own. There was no one to help us because Ryan had sent the warrior wolves earlier to the bunks, when all the rogues were taken down. The loud wailing of Riley brought my attention to him.

I need to save the child...

Fury I've never felt before ran through me when I saw blood coming out of Riley's neck. The air around me was heating, steam coming around me. There was a strange urge inside me to protect what was mine, to protect the small kid who encouraged me when I was feeling helpless, to protect Ryan who saved me from those rogues, to protect the thousands of people who were in the safe house, scared out of their minds for their life.

I needed to do something. A strange emotion flowed throughout my body, giving me a numb feeling.

I could feel myself getting elevated from the ground, but I was not surprised. It felt natural to me, like I have done this before. The wind was blowing my hair around me, the blue hue glowing bright in the dark night. My body was heating up even more, a faint red aura surrounding me. The rage inside me was gaining momentum. I could hear Riley's desperate crying, Ryan's short breaths, feel a woman's worry for her husband, a father's desperation to keep his child safe, a baby's incessant crying while its mother kept trying to calm him.

"Its alright, honey. We'll be safe soon."

I have to protect them.

I was more than 60 feet high up in the air. I could see everything clearly from here. The cold wind caressed my hot cheeks like a caring mother's hand, as if telling me to take it slow. I aimed my hands at the rogue holding Riley and let out a bang. The rogue fell down in a second. Before the surrounding wolves could leave, I aimed at them and gave a firm burst of power. All of them collapsed like rag dolls. I was slowly descending, but was still at quite a height. I turned towards Ryan and let out the strongest burst I could muster. The rogues were falling dead like flies when I hit them. Ryan looked at me with a shocked expression on his bloodied face. I smiled at him in reassurance.

Its alright now.

I heard frantic footsteps at the entrance of the forest where I saw the leader escaping with the remaining of his rogues. With the remaining energy I had, I burst out my power in that direction. That last attack drained me and I fell myself hurling towards the ground, fast. Just as I thought that I would experience the strong impact of the earth, a pair of warm hands cradled me. I opened my eyes to see Ryan staring at me in disbelief. He slowly lowered me down, while saying something, but I couldn't hear him. I saw Riley running towards me, blood oozing from his neck. I gestured him to come close to me, and placed my hand on his injury. Warmth flooded from my heart to my palm and onto Riley's neck. I removed my hand after a second to see his injury was gone .

Good..

I started closing my eyes, it was tiring to keep them open. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I could feel fingers at my wrists and someone shouting but I couldn't pinpoint. I just wanted to sleep. It was hard to keep breathing. Just then, I smelt my favourite smell in the world. I opened my eyes a crack to see Eros kneeling besides me. He was shirtless with a pair of jeans on, but he still looked like a Greek God.

"Eros", I whispered.

"I'm here, lil Belle, I'm here."

His warm hands clasped my weak, cold ones. I sighed, glad that I could see him one last time.

"I-I'm sorry ", I murmured but he heard me because he started crying. Why was he crying ? It did not suit him nor his handsome face. His beautiful orbs should never have tears in them. With strength I never knew I had, I lifted my hands and wiped his tears.

"Don't c-cry", I mumbled while he shook his head.

"I-I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so so sorry."

Eros had my hands clasped in his huge ones, providing me with some warmth. I closed my eyes because it was too heavy to keep them open.

"No, Belle, keep you eyes open !" Eros was shouting at me. Why won't he understand that I just want to sleep. There were hands on my heart, pushing in to me hardly. What were they doing ?

"Belle, please don't do this. BELLE ! "

Eros' painful voice sent a pang in my heart.

I was slipping into darkness, but before that, I had to say something to him.

"E-Eros, I need to s-say someth-"

"Yes, Belle, darling, I'm listening."

His voice was desperate, wet drops falling on my cheeks, before a loud pitter patter of rain began. It was raining. That brought a smile on my face.

"I lov-"

It was hard to let words out of my mouth, it was hard to breath.

"BELLE, NO ! Don't say that. Don't close your eyes. Don't leave me , dammit !!"

Through a small crack in my eyes, I was met with a heart breaking sight. Eros was crying with tears streaming down his face, the last time I could see his face. While my hands were clasped tightly in his, I gave him a small smile which he noticed.

I love you.

I knew he heard me when his face registered shock and pain. He kept talking but I couldn't hear anything. I want to sleep peacefully now. And just like that, I was falling down the rabbit hole of darkness...

And, curtains !!! That's the end of the book, my darlings :) I'll post an epilogue for you guys, I won't leave you hanging ;)

Thank you so much for reading, guys. Do vote and comment please !!!