SEVEN TALES OF LOVE

1. THE SACRIFICE

~ISSA

"Issa!" A familiar voice called with such urgency, I flinched and jolted up into a sitting position.

I tilted my head around with an already pounding heart to see a girl my age running past the trees, coming in my direction.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the panic in her eyes. What could have happened? Was it my mother? Did she hurt herself?

"It's your brother! He's in trouble!" She yelled as the wind slapped at her dress due to the speed at which she was coming.

My heartbeat accelerated and I shot up to my feet, letting my dress fall freely down. My wolf began to dance with panic but I reminded myself to be calm.

She came to an abrupt stop before me and was about to speak when her words got stuck in her throat.

"Easy Layla. . .catch your breath and tell me calmly what is going on," I said as I patted her back gently.

I was dying inside to hear what she had to say but I gritted my teeth to control my fear. Thankfully, she was quick with composing herself. She lifted herself to her full height which was level with mine and locked her blue eyes with mine.

"A slave just died because of Liam and now. . . They want him to take his place," she revealed heavily.

My heart sank and I felt my world come to an abrupt stop. I staggered back in shock as all sounds became distant and I thought I was going to die even before my big brother was taken away.

"Where are they?" I asked breathlessly.

"At the market square," she answered.

I did not even waste another second, because immediately after hearing their location, I charged forward— as fast as my legs could carry me through the woods, not stopping once to catch my breath.

My wolf came alive and fueled my speed with her power and I was bursting into the market in no time.

The sun had just taken its place in the sky and the market was already filled with people. I noticed how people were gathering at the far end and I immediately knew that it was where Liam was.

I heard his voice even before I got there. I pushed past the people with all my might as tears began to form in my eyes. My body was trembling violently because I knew that once someone's fate was set to be sold as a slave, there was no changing it.

I could lose my brother for the rest of my life.

"I had nothing to do with it! He grabbed my dagger and ended his own life! How is it my fault?" Liam yelled as he pointed at his now empty dagger sheath which was strapped to his clothes.

I came to an abrupt stop when I reached the front of the circle that had formed around them. Liam threw a soft green gaze in my direction, as if to tell me not to worry, that everything was going to be fine.

The darkly clothed slave merchant brought out chains. "At least, you admit that it was your dagger he used. We cannot have any shortage," he stated firmly in a gruff voice.

That was when I saw my sick mother break through the crowd and she instantly placed herself before the tall Liam.

"Not my baby! Please! Don't take my son away. He's my only son," she cried as she held him protectively.

My heart broke a thousand times as I watched my mother cry. The last time she had cried this hard was when we lost our father. It had been the darkest day of our lives and that was the day Liam was forced to grow up fast so that he would become our new protector.