Silver

Chapter Twenty-Five: Eno

"Well?" Lucius demanded, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Care to explain princess?" He tilted my head, making sure that I had his complete undivided attention.

I stared frozen at him, words incapable of passing my lips.

My mate was dying. And the crimson wolf was getting stronger. Both statements made me sick to my stomach.

"Derek!" Lucius shouted, making me jump in fright from the volume of his voice. "What the hell is going on here? And why did you not report this to me immediately?"

"My brother," he cried in response, shifting back to his naked human form. "She killed my brother. Burned his body to ashes."

"So I see," Lucius replied, Derek's tears not affecting him a bit. "What I want to know is why Ariel and the rest of these fools are outside? Were my instructions not clear enough for you? Why were they let out?"

"Shut up!" Derek shouted, tears streaming down his eyes. "My brother is in ashes and you don't even give a fuck."

All of a sudden, Derek fell down to his knees, coughing out blood on to the grass. He was choking on his own blood and seeing the scowl on Lucius' face, made me realize that he was angry and this was Derek's punishment.

Derek was a victim in all of this like we were, but unlike us, he had a choice.

And he chose the wrong one when he and his brother aligned with the wrong people.

"That's right, I don't," Lucius snarled back, offended no doubt by the tone in his voice. "In fact, I believe this a fitting punishment for you for not following my instructions. And if you don't answer my question boy, I promise you that you'll end up in a worse state than your brother."

Derek continued to cough, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Please, stop. I c-can't breathe."

"Then tell me what I want to know," Lucius demanded back in a cool voice. "Why did you let them out?"

And Derek told him. From Arlo's blackmail, to the book, to me falling asleep...By the end of it, Lucius' eyes were gold and I knew that was a sign that his wolf was pushing out.

He's a hybrid. Something you won't be able to defeat alone. Make the right choice.

"Father," Lucius demanded, watching me with unforgiving eyes. "Go get the book. Seems like my princess here needs another lesson in obedience."

Scar man left to do his bidding as my friends started to protest and shout out in anger and desperation.

"It wasn't her fault," Orion shouted, glaring holes at the dangerous man before me. "If it was anyone's, it was mine."

"And mine," Arlo added, staring at me in a way that told me to keep my mouth shut. "Don't punish her. Punish us instead."

"The type of punishment I have in mind is not something I want to act upon you," Lucius said, smirking cruelly at the end. "No offense, boys."

"You're a fucking bastard," Orion spat out in disgust. "You'll burn in hell for this."

He's dying, Ariel. I'm so close to the surface, princess. When Lucius' father comes back outside with the book, we'll attack.

"Lucius," I begged out, bringing the monster's attention back towards me. "Please."

Don't do it. You'll regret it for the rest of your life. Don't do it.

"What princess?" He laughed out loud, his eyes crinkling on the side. "What exactly are you pleading for now?"

"Trenton is dying," I begged, my lips numb from shock and cold. "Please let me heal him."