Virgin Sacrifice to the Last Lycan - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Helen POV
“No,” I begged, clinging to the cell bars, my hands fighting the extra chains. This cell only seemed worse now, not because Justin was trying to break me out, but because he would break Scott’s neck. “Justin! Justin, no!”
The Lycan was taller than the hallway ceiling, standing over Scott’s wolf as he had shifted in self-defense. It wouldn’t be a fair fight, it never will be, so seeing Scott even attempt to face the Lycan in his wolfen form only accelerated Justin’s recklessness.
They collided but even on his hind legs, Scott didn’t hold a candle to Justin.
“Guards!” I screamed, trying to find any buffer to put between these guys. “Justin, please!”
Scott deserved his wounds, but seeing so many of them, so quickly, I couldn’t fathom how long it would take before my first mate would have his neck broken by my second. But conflict of any kind made me uneasy.
This fight up close, so cruel and bloody, it made me sick. I would have nightmares for sure.
Guards finally filtered into the barracks and it distracted Justin long enough for Scoot’s wolf to charge past him, pushing his way through the guards. They were more focused on the Lycan, who had only caught a glimpse of me in the scuffle.
His hand had caught my wrist, pulling me against the cell bars as his dark eyes gazed down my forearm. I didn’t notice it at first, or even feel the sting in response to its creation, but my arm held a bite wound so deep that I could see the muscle underneath.
The guards wouldn’t be enough to stop Justin now.
I had sunk to the floor, clinging my arm to my chest as the blood soaked into my top. I wish I hadn’t seen the mark to begin with, maybe it would have kept Justin somewhat tame, but there’s no taming The Last Lycan.
He scattered the guards with a simple shove here and there, throwing them like fleas with the flick of his finger. I wanted to bolt after him but his Lycan is far too in control for me to do anything but watch through the cell.
He was going after Scott.
Minutes later in agonizing silence, the Alpha King was running down the hall, jumping over the bodies of his guards who had been beaten unconscious. He didn’t seem to care which proved that he had far bigger issues to handle still.
He undid the chains, dropping them one by one until he could maneuver the lock on the door. It flung open with a heavy thud and I jumped at the noise. Juden tore a hand into my arm, squeezing the bloody bite mark and forcing a scream from my quivering lips.
“Good, keep that up. I need his attention,” Alpha King Juden grumbled.
I attempted to match his pace but it was near impossible, being dragged across the grounds of his estate before I finally saw the destruction taking place.
A small cottage, perhaps for maids considering the petite exterior of it, was crumbled down into ruins. It trapped Scott’s wolf and even though he was howling in pain from the pressure of it, it may have been the only thing to keep him alive.
Justin’s Lycan stalled from digging through the rubble, turning quick to see me on the estate grounds, his father’s hand wrapped tight around my bicep.
I fought his grip, wanting to do nothing but run up to my mate and ease his Lycan, but Alpha King Juden wasn’t going to allow that.
“Son, your behavior is unacceptable,” the Alpha King roared. “I was afraid these games would bring out this volatile side of you and it’s been made clear, you are not stable!”
“He’s protecting me,” I interfered. “I didn’t—”
The cold pistol pressed to my temple cut off my explanation. Justin’s already short temper was only cut shorter at the sight, Joy coming down with the same fearful ache as our mate.
“A silver bullet for your mate,” the Alpha King cheered. “She’s already charged with murder so I have no personal qualms about shooting her if you don’t settle.”
To threaten his own son like this; I really regret not letting Justin slit his throat earlier. He might do it now and with the feeling of the gun to my head, the threat looming that after all of our work as mates and the success we had together in the games, it could end in this gruesome way; it haunted me.
It whipped at Justin.
He bore his many teeth and roared a noise I couldn’t bare to listen to.
“Let go of me,” I grumbled, fighting his hold on my arm. “I can calm him down; you’re making it worse!”
“You were supposed to calm him down after mating with him,” he snarled. “Lost your virginity for nothing, Helen. He is still unsafe to be free. I should have never allowed him to enter the games. It only brough fury into his black soul. Damn Devil!”
“He’s not The Devil,” I growled. I looked for my mate, finding the onyx in his eyes, the darkness that overcame him so rapidly. “You’re not The Devil.”
Justin’s body cracked with ease, slowly, reluctantly, shifting into his mortal form, his fists still trembling at his bare hips. Though his teeth retracted, the impression of them was clear.
Alpha King Juden dropped my arm, hiking the gun back into his hip holster.
“I’m ending this now. Guards!” Alpha King Juden stepped back, leaving me knelt at his whim on the cobblestone street. “Take the Lycan’s mate to my court. She will be tried for murder.”
My breath hitched, I wanted to stop this from happening but I had to stay calm.
One wrong flinch, a yelp too loud, my mate would crater into his Lycan frame and reign hellfire.
“It’s okay, I didn’t do anything,” I said in a calm manner. Justin came forward when the guards grabbed for me to stand, my arm still bleeding as they hiked my wrists behind the top of my back. I hissed a breath—Justin charged forward. “No!”
My mate didn’t stop, the guards holding me with more steady of a grasp, waiting for him to tear me free of their holds. Justin came all the way forward until out lips connected, the heat of his hands on my cheeks burning straight down to my center.
My knees buckled but the guards kept me upright.
“Take him as well,” Juden exclaimed. “Fiery Cross pack will most likely bring charges against you for your behavior against that young, black-coated wolf.”
“He bit my mate—”
“Not now, dear boy,” Juden taunted his son, guards flanking Justin but not daring to grab at him like they had with me. If I hadn’t caught a glimpse of it myself, I would have thought it was false; Juden grinned. “There’s time for all of this to be settled in my court.”
With a flick of his wrist, we were lead away. Everyone had descended into the streets, eyes baring daggers through my soul, through my fibers, as I realized just how much pride and delight they got from this. They wanted Justin to fight, they wanted me to stand trial for murder.
It was clear that no matter what status I had, I was still beneath them, a Tiger Lily—a reject. Justin kept a close stride beside me, something content in his demeanor.
If anything, he didn’t even noticed the wondering whispers and the scolding looks while many wolves rushed to help Scott from the rubble where he hid like a coward. I knew it before but it was clear now. Justin had been used to this treatment for a prolonged, unending time.