Heartbreak like wildfire

Elora

I sat on the bed, my legs tucked under me, staring at the locked door. It had been days, maybe longer—I had no way of knowing. The only people I ever saw were the maids who brought my food and left without a word. I wasn’t allowed to leave until I was strong enough to start my training.

It wasn’t my first time being locked up or hidden, still I felt like a prisoner.

Then, the door opened and she walked in.

She was tall, with short, dark hair and sharp eyes that looked like they could cut through steel. I recognized her from the other night. Kiara.

Relief washed over me. Finally, someone I could talk to—well, communicate with. The maids never spoke to me, almost like they were afraid to. I grabbed my scroll and quickly started to scribble a message, but before I could finish, Kiara sighed and shook her head.

“Don’t bother,” she said. “I can understand sign language just fine.”

I paused, the quill hovering over the paper. Slowly, I set it down. Kiara pulled a chair close to the bed and sat beside me. I tried to smile at her, but my body was tense. She hadn’t been very friendly to me the last time we met.

Ryker had said she helped save me, but something about her made me uneasy. She didn’t look happy to see me at all.

For a moment, she just stared at me, studying me like I was something she rather not set her eyes on. Then, finally, she spoke.

“Ryker believes you’re his mate.”

I nodded.

Kiara’s face twisted with anger. “That’s bullshit.”

I flinched at her sharp tone. She definitely wasn’t happy about it.

She leaned forward and her eyes burned with the same fierceness I had seen in Ryker’s when I told him who I was.

“Ever since your people in the South took everything from us, I’ve been the one by Ryker’s side. Not you,”

“Me.”

She pressed a hand to her chest.

“I’ve fought for this pack. I’ve shed blood for it. I’ve kept him safe. I’m the one who should be his mate, not you.” The desperation in her tone caused my heart to melt slowly. I understood what it meant to want someone, but not be able to have them. We were both victims of men who were fixated on fulfilling their destinies that they didn’t care about who they were hurting, or bothered to see what they were losing.

I swallowed but didn’t say anything. Her words didn’t affect me the way she wanted them to. I wasn’t here to take Ryker from her.

I sighed and signed.

“ I don’t care about any of that. I just want to go home.”

Kiara’s lips curled into a sneer. “Home? So you can marry that man you love? The scrawny Stormrider prince?”

I nodded again.

Even if he’s only marrying me out of duty, love could still grow.

For some reason, that made Kiara laugh. A loud, bitter laugh that echoed around the room. She threw her head back and held her stomach tightly.

I frowned.

What was so funny?

Kiara wiped at the corner of her right eye. She had been crying from laughter. Then, she looked at me with a wicked smirk.

“You mean you haven’t heard?”

A nervous feeling crept up my spine.

Slowly, my hands moved.

“Heard what?”

Kiara tilted her head to her right as her wicked smirk widened. I tried to avoid her gaze, but she wouldn’t let me.

“The Alpha King of Stormrider is getting married today.”

The words hit me like a slap.

I turned sharply to her, shaking my head. No.

Impossible.

She shrugged. “Pack leaders from all over were invited. I guess he didn’t want to wait.”

No. No. No.

I had to get out of here, and fast. This was my one chance to prove myself to Kael and my people, to be the Luna I was meant to be. I couldn’t…

Tears threatened to blur my vision.

I couldn’t let this opportunity go. I pushed the beddings off my body and tried to stand, but my legs were still weak. The moment I put weight on them, I collapsed onto the floor.

Pain shot up my leg, but I barely noticed it. My mind was spinning. I parted my lips to suck in air. I could barely breathe.

Kael was getting married. Today.

Tears filled my eyes. My chest ached. I thought back to Ryker’s words. What if they really got rid of me? What if this was all part of Kael’s plan? He never wanted me in the first place.

I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back a sob. My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces.

Kiara stepped closer, crouching beside me. She lowered her voice and whispered, “Nobody wants you, mute.”

I stiffened.

She leaned in even closer. “Not even Ryker. He might think he needs you to fulfill his prophecy, but he doesn’t. I’m all he needs.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. Kiara smiled at the sight of it.

“And if Ryker ever hears a word about this conversation,” she whispered, “I’ll make sure you have a very, very hard time here. And trust me, that’s the last thing you need if you want to survive.”

With that, she stood up and started her walk to the door.

Suddenly, a sharp pain burned through my neck.

I gasped, my hand flying to the spot where Kael had marked me. The pain spread, hot and unbearable, moving from my neck to my chest, then through every inch of my body.

It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound could be heard.

Kiara turned back, watching me with a blank expression. I reached a trembling hand toward her.

Help me, please.

But she didn’t move.

The pain got worse. It felt like fire, scorching my chest and restricting my heart. Tears ran freely down my eyes.

What was happening to me? Was I going to die this time? I was tired. So tired of it all.

My vision blurred, and I could barely see Kiara anymore. She was just a shadow now, growing smaller as she walked away.