Heathen

|18|

Barre

(This chapter contains themes that may be disturbing to some readers.
TW/ SA)

Anger pulses through me, and any control I had left is wilting away. I'm going insane.

"What do you mean? Where did she go? She was just here!" I demand, still gripping the guard with tight, desperate hands. I saw Elodie moments ago. I wasn't even in the woods when I turned back.

The sinking feeling in my gut worsens.

I can feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest, panic surging. Where could she have gone? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?

"Fray, Fray, thank the Gods that you're here!" The Rytarian in my hands wheezes the words out, I whirl around to see General Fray walking quickly to us.

I let go of the guard, he stumbles to the ground. I'm ready to go to war. Fray's yellow eyes widen when I get in his face.

"Where is she? Where is my Elodie?" I rage, seeing nothing but red. Salsh growls next to me, taking a threatening step forward as he bares his teeth.

"You're the one that brought her back? She's been with you all this time?" He wonders, obviously perplexed. I growl. There is no time for these questions when my precious female is missing.

"Has she been taken? Where is she?" I demand, and Fray holds up his hands.

It's the first time I notice the female behind him.

She has tears running down her face.

"Elodie? ware ees Elodie?" She asks, and Fray shushes her.

"We will find her, my mate, I told you to stay put. Your worrying is not good for our kit."

"Tell me where she is, Fray, or I swear to the Gods I will tear this palace down to find her!" I growl, not caring when the guards jump away from me, or when Fray's mate breaks out into sobs. The little human pushes her face into the General's chest, crying.

Fray glares at me for upsetting his mate. All I can seem to care about is finding the one female I care about more than this whole planet.

"There is a warrior here, he has become obsessed with Elodie. I don't doubt that he would be the one that took her." Fray says, holding his human mate to his chest as she continues to cry.

I growl furiously, my arms straightening as I flex.

"What is his name?"

I need to know the name of the male I am going to kill.

"Locanas."

Everything quickly falls into place, and I realize this is the reason she's always been afraid. Always looking over her shoulder, trembling at sudden noises. My Elodie was terrified of this Locanas person, he even haunted her dreams.

I will make him pay with his blood.

"Where could they be? Where would he have taken her?" I don't even try to keep my voice down.

The little human female sniffles, turning her head to look up at me.

"I dddone-t no." She whines, and I raise my eyebrows.

Fray is watching me.

"You can't understand her? You don't have a transaction chip?"

I shake my head once. All of this is a waste of time to me. If I don't find Elodie now, I will kill someone or destroy something. The anger inside me pulses with its own life. I can't hardly think straight. I see red, transported to my days of fighting and killing.