Unleashed

Chapter Twenty-two: First Journey

Mila

I prayed to snap out of this nightmare, but my painful feet, throbbing head, and grumbling stomach were a constant reminder that this was no dream at all. This was very real.

Rebecca's arm was really torn off in front of my eyes before one of the beasts bit her throat off. And Darius was really murdered by the one Lycan I had feelings for. Those feelings of desire... what had they turned into? Had they been replaced by hatred? Disgust? Fear? Or nothing like that at all?

My uncle would never come back to me. Never again would he run his hand through my hair, ruffling it up, or teach me about the stars and the planets. And yet, when I heard Connor's speech before we left, I felt proud. I maybe even admired him as he spoke those strong and righteous words. How repelling was that? He was the man who had just murdered my uncle, for crying out loud.

Thank God, Lir was with me during this unexpected journey because the other people didn't seem to like me all that much. To them, I was only Darius's niece, another one of those horribly spoiled silver-spooned nobles that treated them like filth. I never treated them like that, though. At least, not to my knowledge.

"Jesus, that guy pisses me off!" Lir hissed after he'd finally escaped the red-haired Lycan's attention and came to walk beside me, huffing and puffing. "What are we even doing here?"

"I'm sorry for all of this," I whispered breathlessly.

Although it was evening, it was still hot, and we were walking for what felt like hours already, going uphill. I didn't know how long it truly had been, but we hadn't slept all night. We were all tired, hungry, and so emotionally drained.

"It's not your fault. But why didn't you have a choice to follow these brutes? The Lycan said everyone was free to go, why weren't you?"

I looked at Connor, who was ahead of us as he and the other Lycans walked in front. Four of them were shifted into their wolf's form to guard the rest because they had better ears and eyes like that. Connor hadn't shifted. All of them carried enormous bags on their backs, filled with stuff. They must feel hot and tired too.

"I've made a promise to Connor, but you were free to go," I softly replied. "You should have left," I added, even though I hadn't wanted him to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, you weirdo!" Lir harshly whispered back.

I didn't even know why we were whispering. The Lycans probably heard it all, anyway.

"Just look at it this way: it's still not as bad as hanging with your aunt."

"Fuck, Mila. Now is not the time to act all funny."

"I don't have any tears left," I replied. "Might just as well joke."

He grabbed my wrist and squeezed it before he took his hand away again. "I don't want the Lycan going all crazy again for touching you," he whispered.

The Lycan Alpha halted his steps and turned his head.

"Fuck, can-can he h-hear me?" Lir asked, to which I nodded. "Shit!"

"We will set up camp here. Eat, and sleep!" Connor shouted, dropping the bag to the ground while he glared in Lir's direction, eyes narrowing until there was a vertical line between his thick black eyebrows. "A few men will stand guard tonight."

***

I woke up with a start when something suddenly was pressed over my lips.

In the little light present in the tent, I looked into a pair of dark eyes laced with green shimmering, which stared back into mine.