(Trigger Warning: This Chapter contains explicit content and is intended for mature readers.)
Lily’s heart raced as she led the way. Her hands trembled slightly, nervous about what she was about to show him. She hoped her gesture would bring him some peace, but anxiety gnawed at her.
Zayn followed silently behind her, his expression guarded. He noticed her hands were wrapped in bandages, wondering if where she was taking him had anything to do with it.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked, his voice low but curious. fre ewe bnove l.com
She glanced back at him, offering a small, reassuring smile. She signed nervously, then gestured for him to keep following.
‘You’ll know soon enough.’
After twenty minutes of walking, they emerged onto a beautiful hillside. Wild flowers in full bloom covered the hillside in vibrant shades of purples and yellows. The grass swayed gently in the breeze.
Zayn didn’t know this hill existed. The vast lands Obsidian Moon and Thunderpaw occupied were now more interconnected than ever. He’d seen mountains and hills, all mapped out on territory maps.
But seeing it in person was different. It was remarkable. He stepped forward, admiring the scene and taking in the scent of the flowers. For the first time in a while, he relaxed alittle, shoulders loose. .com
Lily’s smile grew bigger when she saw how Zayn relaxed. She pointed to the top of the hill, where the surprise she had prepared was waiting for him.
At the top of the hill stood two headstones. Both had intricate carvings and names, along with the symbol of the Obsidian Moon pack.
Lily turned to face him, signing what she wanted to tell him.
‘I asked the warriors you assigned to me about your late mate and child. They told me about the mass graves... where they were buried. I wanted to do something, I wanted to give them a proper burial, so that you would have a place to visit them.’
Zayn’s expression shifted from surprise to horror. To rage. All in a matter of seconds. His jaw clenched tight, his knuckles were turning white.
“You did what?” He asked, voice barely able to contain the rage that was bubbling over.
Lily blinked, fear sending a shiver down her spine. She was confused. This wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. Did he misunderstand her?
She quickly signed again.
‘I gave them a proper burial. I thought-’
“You thought what?” Zayn’s voice rose, cutting her off. “That you had the right to touch my mate’s remains? To disturb whatever peace she might have found?”
Lily backed away, her eyes wide. She hadn’t considered that he would see her actions as an intrusion rather than a kindness.
‘I was trying to help,’ she signed desperately. ‘They were thrown in a mass grave. I wanted to—’
“To what?” Zayn snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I didn’t ask you to do any of this! All you had to do was to keep quiet and stay out of trouble.”
He grabbed her arm roughly, gripping so hard she winced. Lily shook her head frantically, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong. His eyes were filled only with rage and disgust.
“Who do you think you are, Lily? Do you think you can replace her? To make me forget by pretending to care about her memory?!”
Zayn pulled her in close, eyes burning with rage, face inches from her, “What right did you have? WHAT RIGHT?!”
Zayn’s eyes were turning red. His wolf clawed at him, eager to get out. The accumulated stress was pushing him over the edge. The pack politics, the lack of funds, and the constant reminders of his past.
“I took you as my Luna out of necessity, not by choice,” He spat. “There is no love between us, only duty. Never forget that, Lily Brightpaw.”
Lily felt a pain in her chest. It felt worse than being stabbed with a dagger. Why did it hurt this bad?
Zayn walked over to her. Grabbing her roughly by the arm once more, nails digging into her skin, drawing blood. She whimpered in fear and pain, pleading with her eyes for him to let her go, but to no avail.
“Perhaps it’s time we fulfill that duty so that we can be rid of each other.”
Zayn pushed her to the ground. Lily winced as she hit the ground, using her hands to break her fall. Fear flooded her body.
She recognized the look in his eyes. He hated her. He loathed her. The love she thought they shared was nowhere to be found. This was the old Zayn. The one who broke her.
Her body screamed at her to run.
Mustering what strength she had left, Lily got on her feet and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She didn’t dare look back.
Lily sprinted through the trees, branches whipping at her face. She wasn’t looking where she was going, simply running on blind terror. Her foot caught on a tree root, sending her tumbling down a small slope.
Before she could scramble to her feet, a large black wolf was upon her. Zayn’s wolf form was massive, his teeth gleaming as he grabbed the collar of her dress in his mouth. He dragged her, kicking and struggling, through the forest.
She recognized where he was taking her: the cave where he had been chained during the full moon. Once inside, he threw her roughly on the ground and shifted back to his human form.
Lily retreated further into the cave on all fours, feeling the cold cave wall pressed against her back. There was nowhere left to hide.
She knew she had to try something. Anything. In a desperate attempt, she tried reaching out to him through their mind-link.
‘Zayn, please. I was only trying to help. Please stop!’ She projected her thoughts, her desperate plea.
Lily felt as if she were faced with a brick wall. .com
She watched in fear as Zayn’s shadow grew larger on the stone walls. He caught up to her, eyes glowing red. He stalked up to her, casting her in his shadow. Lily shook like a leaf, looking up at Zayn with fear written all over her face.
She tried pleading with him with her eyes, the only way she knew how. She shakily reached out to him, wanting to grab onto his leg and beg him to stop.
But before she could, he slapped her hand away.
“You’re mine to use as I please. That is your duty to me.”