ROTTEN LOVE - Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Maddox
Her body became limp in my embrace. The smile that she often possessed permanently vanished. I will no longer see radiance directed at me.
I caress her hair, and bring her body closer to mine, crushing her in my arms. What a wretched creature.
How could she leave me when we just came together?
I feel hands on my shoulder and I snarl. I turn and meet grey water-streaked eyes. She needs this as much as I do. I slowly unreal Helena's body from me.
Marisa's hands shake as she guides them to Helena's face. She brings her face to Helena's and sobs.
I couldn't do anything besides stay guard during her weak display. I'm broken too. The last thing I can do is make her whole when I am not, so I'll keep watch while we are in enemy territory.
Marisa cries. "You left me alone. How could you?"
From the corner of my eye, Adam closes in but keeps his distance. He scowls at her comment.
She isn't alone. But I can understand how it might feel like so. I take a look around at the scene. Bodies on the ground.
Then a rage hits me.
Not enough. Their not the bodies that should be deceased.
I place my hand on Marisa and she gazes up at me. I give her a stern look. I need my calculative sister. The one that can ice anyone with her stare.
I tilt my head about our surroundings and it's as if for the first time she realizes where we are at. She slowly lets go of Helena. She lifts off the floor and wipes her tears discreetly away.
When she gazes back up, her transformation is quick. There are no water-rim eyes or weak persona. Instead, Marisa Malfatto comes to view; a cold, vicious pureblood who seeks retribution for what has been lost.
Her eyes, bright red sons, ready to scorch anything that gets in her path. At her readiness, I fall into that anger. I hone my features but my body calls for violence.
We turn toward our unwanted viewers. Marisa orders. "Adam pick her up. Be the utmost careful with her."
I am at the forefront. "We will depart. Jason," I give him the intensity my heart is enduring. "Her body will be laid to rest in Vales. You may see her when you want. You know the way home."
Marisa makes a disgusting noise. Something between a sigh and the sound you produce when your lips smack. It's one of disapproval.
"For now." Marisa walks closer. Her eyebrow furrowed in displeasure. She disapproves of him, our friend. Someone whom we thought of as family.
Jason puts his hands in his pocket and shuffles his feet. The action jars me, reminding me of her. She had the habit of biting her lip and not being able to stay still when she experienced discomfort.
I grate my teeth at the memory. There will be no more exchanges between the two in which I provoke her uneasiness. In where she makes me descend to madness with want and need in the simple motion of her mouth.
He says. "You can't possibly believe I wanted this." Those very familiar eyes shined with tears made to make any individual cry along.
But I will not. Jason, my confidant, will not get an ounce of sympathy from me. Helena may have not blamed him but I am not her.
I warned her I was not good.
I place my hands behind my back to hide the intense sensation of striking someone. Most importantly to prevent the need to hit my love's brother, the man who should have had her back.
"What you want is no longer my concern, Thorn. Marisa is right. You will be able to see her resting place once. After that, the location of Vales will be hidden."
"My sister would not want to part from me."
I almost lost it there but Marisa beat me to the punch. She laughs in a cruel tone. "Helena would have wanted to live. No one expected you to leave your mate."
She drags the word like it's the most repulsive thing before continuing, "but you should have stayed out of it. If that wolf of yours loved you, then she would have never made you choose because your sister didn't expect you to. My Helena simply wanted to make things right."
Maddie had the decency to remain silent. Her eyes slightly flinched at Marisa's words. I can even see Jason deflate a little.
"This is all because of him." Marisa takes a step toward Zain. I quickly grab her wrist. She will not move. Zain is mine to take care of when the time is right.
"I fought for my mate."
"You fought for a delusion. She was never yours. But you did get your punishment." A slight smirk crosses my lips as Zain truly examines the outcome.
My love's intentions were not to hinder the werewolf race. From the second she started chanting, I knew it was a bluff. A way to corner Zain. But I did not account for the fine print when it comes to blood magic.
There is a silence that suffocates, yet the air in my lungs never felt fuller. I have gained a new purpose and I intend to excel in it.
I give him a look over before ordering Marisa and Adam. "Let's go."
I move past Jason, Maddie, and Zain. Then Marisa follows. When Adam is about to pass Zain, Zain holds his arm captive.
I don't turn back because if I do I will kill everyone here and it's not the time. It has to be done slowly.
"Release him," I command.
"Helena is my mate. This was her mother's land. Her brother will reside here. She should be here."
I grate my teeth more. I can hear Marisa snarl. Before she acts, I reply. "Adam place her down."
"What?" Marisa snaps.
"It's just a body. Helena is no longer there."
"But to leave her is not right. She belongs with us. She wanted to come with us and we should respect her wishes."
I look at her and glare. "Her wishes are invalidated. To wish, one must be alive to hope in seeing said desire come true. She is neither with life nor can she hope."
Marisa closes her fists. I can see her hurt and furry. The ticking at her forehead. I don't mean to be harsh but the sooner she ices her heart the better it will be.
I place my hand on her delicate shoulder. Then leave her side to walk to Adam. I extend my arms and he hesitantly places the woman I love in my arms for a last time.
I make sure to hone all my features. I didn't let the tears stream down at the thought of never seeing her again or allowed my lips to drag down at the sorrow of losing her companionship. I walked to Zain and took the time to memorize her body and aroma while acting indifferent, even though it couldn't be furthest from the truth.
I placed her in his arms without glancing her way but kept my eyes on him. "Have her, for only in death did you manage to retain her at your side."
He squares his shoulders in an attempt to not feel humiliation at the fact. I continue, "My people will live with no new pureblood children. We won't increase but our numbers will not decline. They will stay consistent. Immortality does that. We are quite hard to kill."
I get closer. "Your people will live until the last of you alphas meet the dust. They will be lambs without a shepherd."
A dark chuckle comes out at the thought. "Forgive me. It's the irony that gets me because, without a guide, I'm afraid your lambs will have to watch out for the big bad wolf.."
I give him a wicked smile running my tongue along my fangs. "...yes. I will eliminate every last alpha there is out there until only you remain. Then when you see the steady decline of your people, I will come after you."
"I can kill you," Zain speaks into my face. His eyes bulge at the threat.
"Can you? Last time I checked, our beloved made it to where there would be no more alpha and pureblood children unless one pair came together. Given that Marisa and I are the youngest and the other lines are less likely to help, I would say getting rid of me is a poor choice."
"No wolf will ever take a vamp as a lover, especially an elite."
My smile deepens at the thought. "Then it's a waiting game."
To their death.
I nod before walking over to Marisa. She slowly meets my gaze and the hurt is evident. I lower my mouth to her ear. "Did you hear?"
"Yes."
"Will you help me?"
In an instant, she switches from hurt to determined. Her eyes are a deadly omen. "Till there is only one left."
She stares Zain down.
"Till we meet again Levine," I warn him.