Thea & The Wolf

Chapter Twenty-Six

Zev

I keep slipping.

Every mistake I've made has a price and she pays it everytime.

I slam my fist into the wall again and again, until it's crumbling around me like so many other things. I can feel the bile rising in my throat they can't hurt her, not Thea. Not the girl who blinks and smiles up at me like I hung the moon and stars, not the girl who turns to me for protection instead of cowering away at the thought of me like all the others.

Not my Thea.

I wipe my hand down my face and I'm embarrassed to feel it's wet, tears. There's no more time for self pity, with a roll of my shoulders I'm a wolf.

It's time to end this.

My paws rip up the earth with each stride, chewing up the space between her and I like sharp teeth. Her scent is a few hours old at least the only bright side is I can feel her fear and sorrow like a knife in my gut, so she's alive.

I think Rhett must be possessed, the behavior change, red eyes and smell of rot all point to this. I knew from the second he woke up something was wrong but I let myself push it away to try and keep an imaginary peace between us like a fool. My wolf is rampant with rage, I pity those who stand between me and her.

Thea

My eyes open to blurry surroundings.

The most potent thing is the smell of rot and ruin filling the air. I rub my eyes wiping away grim and specks of blood, where am I? It hits me like waking up from a nightmare but instead of stark relief I feel pungent fear.

Zev.

Rhett killed Zev.

Rhett killed Zev.

Rhett. Killed. Zev.

I can't stop running it through my mind but it makes no sense. My eyes blur again with heavy tears. Will I live forever without him? Bile rises in my throat but I can't keep it down this down instead a kneel on the stained concrete floor and relieve my stomach.

I want to lay here and die but a small part of me still feels him. I don't know if it's one of those phantom limb symptoms but he could be alive...maybe. Either way I couldn't let him sit there and rot. Mythic needed to pay maybe Rhett to even if he is being controlled I could never look at him the same for taking my wolf away.

If, if he took my wolf away. 

The room I'm in is a small concrete cage with one door and one small sliver of a window that let's light seep in like spilt milk. My head aches but I know it's from Rhett's fist dragging me through the forest before he knocked me out.

The door creeks open and she saunters in like it's the Ritz instead of a cage where she's holding people against their will.

"Morning little one."

Her grin is smug like her hideous face. I can't believe I once found her beautiful, who she is on the inside bleeds though her skin twists all that could be beautiful into something monstrous.

"Don't call me that you...you...bitch!"

She crouhes down in front of me and pinches my cheek as I smack her hand away.

"Careful with your words your brother is still buried in that skin somewhere."

"What did you do to him."