The First Fae Mate

Sixty-six | Betrayal

The moment Visena stepped foot into Malum, an air of foreboding hit her, and painful images flashed through her brain. Fuck.

Gideon gripped her elbow and led her forward until they reached the deconstructed frames of Malum's packhouses. Invictus had been busy trying to turn the space into usable land, but Visena's plans put a halt to their tasks. The sooner we do this, the sooner these lands can be used again.

Calypso stood inside a marked dirt circle, surrounded by herbs, rocks, and natural resources. She whispered, making small gestures with her fingers, and Visena watched as the dome-like barrier receded around them. She closed her eyes as it moved through them and shivered from the tingling contact. Calypso sagged once she was done and looked over to the Fae. "It's down. They should find us soon."

Visena was about to ask how when the Witch spoke again. "Thermal imaging and satellites. They would have set up surveillance when Daeva's barrier came down. Plus, I can see them. They're in a helicopter right now flying over the forest. About fifteen minutes out."

"See them?"

"Spellwork, Visena. I don't have time to explain everything to you." She knelt and whispered more words to the earth as Visena stepped further into the clearing and took in the scene. 

It was eerie seeing the homes torn down to their wooden beams. Visena imagined a ball of tumbleweed rolling by when a barrelling force hit her left side, and she flew across the dirt. Gideon sprinted over when Visena groaned, "No!" The ebony Wolf stood over her, snarling at her face. Saliva dripped onto the Fae's cheeks. "Thyra, I'm so sorry."

Thyra's eyes appeared red in the dying light, and her teeth snapped so close to Visena's nose that she could smell blood on her breath. Her arms shot up, attempting to hold the thrashing head in her palms. Frothing foam dripped across Visena's throat as she grunted, "Thyra, please. I never meant for any of this. Please, stop."

Gideon's shout had the Wolf pausing her attempted assault. "Get off her, or it will be the last thing you fucking do, Thyra. You know she loved Eve. She would never have put her in danger if she knew what would have happened."

The Volf shook and convulsed under Visena's hands, fighting a shift from Gideon's commanding tone.

"Please believe me," Visena begged with a whisper. "I loved her so much. I never wanted this. Never."

"Shift, Thyra," Gideon commanded, grabbing the Wolf by her scruff. 

She folded inward against him, her shift lacking its usual fluidity and grace. Instead, her bones cracked and jerked painfully into place, leaving her panting on the ground. "Why? Why did you go for the gun," Thyra moaned. "I can't understand why you would put our lives at risk. You got her killed." Her teeth bared at the Fae lying across from her.

Visena laughed unironically as frustrated tears escaped her waterline, "I fell. I tripped on that fucking skirt, and I was trying to hide the damn thing when he fired. I hate guns, Thyra. I swear." Her head throbbed as more images streamed into her consciousness. Gideon bleeding. Dying. Not now!

The Praelia Alpha screamed and dragged her nails through the dirt, tearing them from their nail beds. Her cries of pain following the action had Visena crawling over to her shuddering form.

"Vi-"

With a raised hand, Visena shushed her mate.

"We don't have time for this, Thyra. The humans, the hunters at least, will be coming for us now we've opened the barrier. Go back to Praelia and heal. We'll kill them. We'll punish the ones who took Eve from us. I swear."