Souls Entwined

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Elle's POV

My skin was on fire after spending most of the last hour sprawled out on the grass in a pile of sweaty limbs.

A voice from the heavens spoke above me, 'You're not giving up now.' His tone had been sharp since I'd first decided I wouldn't say a word to him.

I groaned, squinting at him as he stood in the sun's light. I clenched my teeth against my snarky response and stared at the cloudless sky.

We were far enough away from everyone else that there was a sense of privacy in our little corner of the training fields. But, if I thought about it too long, I would realise it wasn't the quiet sanctuary I believed it to be.

At least half a dozen other sparring partners were out, practising their fighting skills. They'd all kept a wide breadth from us, but I had no doubt they were listening.

'Get up, Elliot.' Jacobi hissed, the toe of his show jamming into my ribs, and I bared my teeth at him. He shook his head at me, a heavy sigh on his lips. 'You've been spending too much time with Ashen.'

'At least I know why Ashen is hanging around.' I huffed under my breath.

Every part of my body hurt as I rolled over. My arms wobbled as I pushed to my knees, threatening to give out on me, and my core felt like I'd had a kidney removed and been forced to work out.

Jacobi snorted, banding his thick arms across his chest as he stared down at me.

'What.' I finally snapped, ignoring the burn of humiliation in the back of my eyes. 'What could you possibly have left to say that you haven't already proven with your actions.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' he glared hard at me before his eyes rose to look across the field to the window of Kaden's office.

I waved a hand behind me, hoping Kaden saw it as the dismissal it was. I didn't want to think about him when I was in such a foul mood. Kaden was meant to be my happy place. I wouldn't let my mood with Jacobi affect that. 'It means that you lied to me for years!' I pushed up with the last energy, crawling to my feet. 'It means that you sat back as my entire fucking world shattered around me, and you couldn't even tell me the truth!'

'And what truth is that?'

He started to circle me like he was waiting for me to return to the sparing position we had been practising for the last hour. I couldn't anymore, so I stood in the middle of our patch of grass, chest heaving as I listened for him. 'That Lachlan wasn't my soulmate; that Kaden was; that you were only my friend because you were told you had to be.'

He growled and appeared in my periphery as he moved around me. 'I told you to be careful with Lachlan. I wasn't allowed to say anything else. And that bullshit about me being your friend because I had to? I was five when they told me I had a job to do. It was my sole responsibility to protect the future Luna.'

His eyes blazed as he approached me, encroaching on my space. Fallyn kicked off the tree she'd been leaning against a few metres away and moved closer, not ready to intervene but preparing just in case. I could feel the heat rolling off Jacobi's body as he crowded me. I wanted to kick him in the shin for using his height to loom over me, but I widened my stance and held his glare with one of my own.

'Do you know what they did after they told me?' He hissed, his nostrils flaring as a deep flush rose up his neck. 'I was only five when Peter took me to the middle of the forest and told me what would happen if I told anyone. I was told someone would come for you if I said anything to the wrong person. He told me I'd die protecting you for betraying Kaden's trust. Other packs or hunters would come for Kaden and our pack. My family's lives were placed in the palm of my hand, and I was told not to crush them. So no, Elliot. I didn't say anything! I kept that fucking secret for thirteen years.' He took a shuttering breath. 'I'd do it again. I would do it in a heartbeat if it got us back to this point where everyone I love is still alive, even you. Because for some dumb reason, you have become one of my closest friends, and I love you. You're like a sister to me, and it hurts to see you ignoring me like thirteen years means nothing.'