Dragoned in Half

No Love Lost-Avery

Tears fall from my eyes as I look at everyone in this room who would see my mate dead. My dragon cries inside my head as she still mourns his loss after all these years just i have done. All those years ago we were so young when we made that decision. It has been something that we have regretted ever since.

For weeks Salvatore has been telling us his crimes. He even took us to the lab where they say that he has committed these heinous acts. The labs that they say that he ran on our species. And yet because many of the things they say he has done were not committed by him I cannot stand this. If they want to kill my mate then they will have to go through me. As Salvatore stands before me saying this is what needs to be done, I can't take it anymore.

"No, Salvatore. This is the only way you see. Things always go how you see them. This is one time where I will not stand with you. He hasn't hurt anyone" I plead for him to see.

The room around me goes quiet as I plead with my mate. This is a discussion that we have so many times and he has failed to see reason. For all of these years I have stood by his side. I chose him over Slater and that is the cause of all of this. Our mate is still out there. I need him to see it. I need him to choose his mates at this moment.

The silence is deafening and then a peel of laughter springs through the air. The man who I do not know but looks like another laughs hard as he looks at me. I get angry at his blatant disrespect to my emotions and turn to face him. He can think that this is funny but he has to know. His own mate even said that she would not make the same sacrifice that they are asking me to make. His laughter stops so abruptly that I start to believe that he is insane as he approaches me.

"He hasn't hurt anyone?" He questions me as he steps near. I hear the warning growl from Salvatore as he steps closer to me. I watch as the man changes right before my eyes. His aura that shines so bright fades quickly and then he is surrounded by a sea of black. The golden yellow color of his eyes changes to black and I watch as the man becomes a monster before my eyes when I shake my head no.

"Tell me Avery. Your mate holds the power of love, does he not?" I nod in reply as I wonder where he is going with this. "We know that our mates hold the opposite power to that of us when the bond is not complete. Seeing only one mark upon your neck, im to guess that you still hold the power of hatred" he states as Salvatore growls loudly at the mention of my mark.

"Yes, and?" I ask him as I start to get pissed. Who does he think he is to question me about the private natures of my life?

"I want to play a game. I promise that if you win, you will receive all the answers that you want. If you lose then you will get your wish and I will not kill your mate. Is that a wager that you wish to make?" He asks with the rise of an eyebrow. A female comes to his side as she touches his arm. I am to assume that she is the mate of the man. At her touch some of the darkness seems to fade from him as he looks down at her.

"It's alright Julia. This is something that needs to be done. No one here can show her the truth except for me" he tells her. She holds his gaze for a long time and then nods and goes over to the man that looks like him. When his eyes come back to me they are still that eerie black color. They hold a challenge in them. It's one that I willingly answer as I step forward.

"Fine, let's play your game" I tell him as I brace myself. At my agreement Salvatore comes forth and grabs my arm.

"You know what accessing that side of yourself does Avery. You owe him nothing. We can discuss and reach a solution together" He says as he looks at me. I ponder what he said as I look around the room. Everyone here still looks at me as if I am crazy but I know my mate. There is no way that he has done what they say. If someone can show me something different then I have to be willing to listen.