Veil Of The Undying

Chapter 28

Ronan

I threw Liam off of Aria, and she immediately hit the ground. Panic surged through me as I knelt beside her. "Aria, talk to me. You'll be fine. Breathe. Okay." Her eyes found mine, full of unspoken words, but before she could say anything, she fainted. There was no time to waste-every second counted. Killing Liam would have to wait.

He stabbed her with a piece of glass. I could see the shards still embedded in her flesh, glinting with her blood. My mind raced. We had pills but no surgical supplies. I needed to get her out of here-fast. I scooped her up and headed for the car, my heart pounding in my chest.

Ava came running towards me, reaching out for Aria. "I can help! Let me treat her!"

"Don't you dare touch her!" I snarled, venom lacing my words. "I know your part in this. Let me come back and find you here." My glare pinned her in place, and I turned away, putting Aria in the back seat before speeding off.

I drove like a man possessed, my only goal to find the nearest pharmacy. What if it's overrun? What if I'm too late? The thoughts clawed at my mind, but I pushed them aside. I couldn't afford doubt right now.

When I reached the pharmacy, dread settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't take Aria inside-she was unconscious, vulnerable, and I needed to clear the place of any feeders first. Locking the car, I dashed inside and swept the area, only to be met with bitter disappointment. The shelves were empty, stripped of anything I could use to keep her alive.

I hurried back to the car, only to find it surrounded by feeders. Panic tightened its grip on me. I couldn't lose her-not now, not like this. I drew the feeders away, shooting them down one by one before speeding off again, searching for another pharmacy.

When I found the next one, I knew I couldn't leave Aria in the car again. But as soon as I took her inside, seven feeders came out of nowhere. I had no choice-I had to put her down and fight them off with my knife. Every stab, every slice, was a reminder of what was at stake. I couldn't let her die. I wouldn't.

After taking care of the feeders, I carried her inside and laid her on a table. Relief washed over me as I saw the shelves stocked with what I needed. I sanitized my hands, donned gloves, and started removing the glass from her wound. As I stitched her up, she opened her eyes, confusion clouding her gaze.

She looked at me, trying to make sense of what was happening. The shock must've numbed the pain, but I knew it wouldn't last. I tried to reassure her. "You're going to be fine. I promise." She closed her eyes again, and I felt a pang of fear. What if she never opened them again?

I finished bandaging her wound and took her back to the car. She woke up once more, just for a moment, before drifting back to sleep. As I drove back to the farm, my mind was a storm of thoughts. Liam was dead-he had to be. Ava too. And Marcus... If he stood with them, he'd join them in hell.

But then, there was Aria. Seeing her like this-vulnerable, hurt because of someone else's twisted sense of entitlement-it made my blood boil. She was right to reject that psychopath. But beyond the anger, something else twisted inside me. I'd never felt this way about anyone. This fierce protectiveness, this gnawing fear at the thought of losing her-it wasn't just about survival anymore.

I shook the thoughts away as I approached the farm. Something was wrong. We only had one car, but now there were three more parked outside. I left my car behind a tree and carried Aria toward the farm, using the small gap we'd made for emergencies to sneak in.

I could hear voices-men and women, unfamiliar. I had to put Aria somewhere safe if I wanted to see what was going on. The barn. I hid her under a pile of clothes, my gut twisting with worry as I made my way inside.

As soon as I stepped through the door, guns were pointed at me. A man with a big-ass mustache sneered, "Who are you?"

"This is my home, so who are you?" I threw the question back at him, sizing him up.

"It's not your home. Pretty sure this farm belonged to my friend Jake. So again, who are you?" His tone was mocking, but I noticed something chilling-Thomas, Carmen, and their kids were standing with them, laughing, while everyone else I left at the farm was kneeling down. What the hell was going on?

"I'm the one who buried Jake and took this farm," I said, my voice cold. That earned me laughter from the group.

"So, you're the leader of these idiots?" the mustache guy taunted.

"You could say that. What do you want?"

That's when I noticed the betrayal. Thomas and Carmen had sold us out, laughing with these people like we were nothing.

"I killed Jake because I wanted his farm. I went to get my kids and people, but when I came back, you were here. I sent my friend Thomas and his family to see how strong you were, and they informed me how weak the people here are. Now, I'm here to take back what's mine, but I obviously can't let you all go. I'm going to have to kill you." His words were casual, like he was discussing the weather. It made my blood run cold.

"There was a girl with him," Carmen's voice cut through the air. "Ask him where she is." That fucking bitch. How did I ever think she was worth my time?

"She's dead," I said, my voice flat.

"Is that her blood on your hands?" Mustache asked, eyeing my hands with a sick smile.

"Yes." I locked eyes with him, daring him to test me.

His gaze shifted to the people kneeling, and before I could react, he shot Daria-the pregnant girl-right in the chest. Her father cried out, and Mustache shot him too.

"Who else wants to go next? You're all dying anyway, so might as well die brave," he chuckled, amused by his own cruelty. I clenched my fists, rage boiling inside me. I was going to kill him.

Suddenly, gunfire echoed outside. Some of his men ran to check and never came back. Mustache peered out the window, fury flashing across his face. "Someone let in feeders. The whole place is overrun. This was useless after all. Let's go."

I wanted to end him right then, but I couldn't-I had too much to worry about. As they left, I rushed to Daria, who was still alive, but my mind was racing. Aria. She was still outside with the feeders.

The door burst open, and there she was, standing with a gun in hand. Relief and fear warred inside me. "Aria!" I called out, but she didn't look at me. She went straight to Daria.

And in that moment, I realized just how much she meant to me. Not just as a leader or a survivor-but as someone I couldn't bear to lose.