The Beast Across The Lake

Chapter 36

                                         Isabella
A voice echoed louder above the sounds of the laughing men.

"Playtime is over, zip up your pants."

I could hear the shuffling of the man behind me as he hurried to put back his jeans. I felt relief at the absence of his hands on me and the distance between us now. I didn't care if it was time to die, anything was better than what was about to happen. I opened my burning eyes to see Aurora in all of her red-headed glory. She marched in with a group of people, some were rogues, others were members from the sheriffs pack, and the sheriff himself.

"While you were here messing around, the sheriff's pack decided to try to attack," she shouted at the eight," if we hadn't been on our way back they could have killed you all!"

The sheriff's sad eyes were on mine. His hands were bound together by ties in front of him. I had been naive to  think that he would risk his pack to save us. He had anyway and now they were all going to die for it.
Perhaps the sheriff was right the whole time, perhaps a fight with the rogues destined you for death after all.

We all stayed silent while Aurora displayed her authority. She marched to where I was and lifted my face with a gentle hand. She was stunning with bright green eyes and wild wavy hair that touched the back of her lower thighs. I couldn't help but wonder how Caleb could ever find me attractive after being with someone like her. She stared at me with tears in her eyes.

"You killed my brother."

"You killed my mother-"

"You killed my father first!" she spat with words laced with venom," you've taken everything I've ever loved and now you've also come to take Caleb from me!"

"She's my mate," Caleb's voice was hardly audible.

"You kicked me out of the pack," Aurora was facing him now," you forced Dimitri and I out on our own, I loved you-"

"You don't love anyone but yourself."

"How could you say that? I offered you a way out, I told you to join us and you'll be safe."

"And become a traitor for my tribe?"

"And you're proud to be a Waru? Your tribe were murderers. They killed anyone who wasn't perfect."

"Your father was a traitor, and so are you."

"You'll die tonight like he did, slashed and beheaded, left to bleed out all on his own. We couldn't even say goodbye-"

"Just do it then, Aurora. No more games, just KILL ME!" Caleb's tone was stern. It seemed as if he no longer cared to die. I flinched at the urgency in his eyes, Caleb was finally undone.

She turned to face the witnesses.

"There's a change of plans."

"What change," the rogue leader of the eight spoke.

"I don't just want the Waru territories now, I want everything in Eastsound too. Everything belonging to your pack," Aurora pointed at the sheriff who stiffened.

"You want to kill everyone in his pack? That will be hundreds of people in Eastsound-"

"Everyone," there was an evil glisten in her wild eyes," but I'll fight for it."

She looked at me," you and I, fight until one of us is dead. I win, I get everything and I kill everyone."

"And if I win?" I asked. Everyone seemed shocked by my rebuttal," what do I get if I win?"

"You get to keep it all, the land,  your lives, your mate," she spat the last word.

There was a moment of silence while we searched for the hidden meaning in her words.