Ryce walked toward his home, the sun having set an hour prior. He had told Helina he wouldn’t be back until well past dark, but the thought of her all alone didn’t sit well with him, especially with all the DarkShine knowing about her existence. He could see the kitchen light on and quickly walked up the porch steps. As soon as he walked through the front door he knew she wasn’t in the house. It was too silent, too void of life. He inhaled deeply as he walked through every room, thankful there was no scent of death that clung to the walls. He walked back into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the whole area and a small slip of white paper catching his eye on the table. He picked it up, unfolding it and reading the delicately feminine handwriting that greeted him.
Dear Ryce,
I’m sorry. I meant to say goodbye and thank you for all you have done. I couldn’t, though. As much as I enjoyed the short time I had with you, the hospitality and protection you gave me, I just know that my heart couldn’t take much more before it completely broke in two. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Gaijryc walking around with his new wife. His leaving may very well be my destruction, but I would rather face what lies out there than spend another day thinking about what I don’t have in my life anymore. I have lost my parents, my sister, and now the one person I gave my heart to. Thank you, Ryce, for helping me, but most of all, thank you for opening yourself up to me and sharing your heart. I hope you find what you deserve. Goodbye.
Helina
Gaijryc stood in his dressing room, his hand tailored tux confining his every move. In just a few short hours he would forever be mated to the bitch, his life never his again. He’d stood in front of his window all day, hoping to catch a glimpse of Helina, disappointed when he didn’t. He had been tempted many times to rush over there and drop to his knees—ask her for forgiveness, tell her how much she meant to him. As he stared at himself in the mirror, he knew he couldn’t go through with this, knew he couldn’t mate a female who he despised. All he had been able to picture was Helina’s sweet face pleading with him to admit his love for her. His harsh words had made her cry, her tears sliding down her cheeks and making his heart break. He knew if they were caught she would be killed. Even knowing the danger, him staying away didn’t guarantee her safety. Iena was a conniving female, and now that his mother knew of Helina’s existence, she wouldn’t stop until the human female was out of the way. He stood, his mind made up. He would need to gather supplies for their departure, would have to do it quickly since he only had a short window of time. His door opened, slamming against the wall with enough force it rattled the pictures. Gaijryc turned around, taking a fighting stance. He stared at Ryce, who himself looked distraught. He held a slip of white paper and walked toward him, shoving it into his chest. Gaijryc was too stunned by Ryce’s reaction to do anything but stare.
“Read it.”
Ryce’s voice was filled with anger, his hand shaking as he held the paper to Gaijryc’s chest. He had seen Ryce angry hundreds of times before, but the kind of anger that poured out of him now was like nothing he had ever seen before. Gaijryc gripped the paper and unfolded it. He stared at the writing, his brain slowly starting to register the words that were written. He threw the paper on the ground as he made his way toward the door. He felt Ryce grip his forearm and he looked down at it before bringing his eyes up. “Let go.”
“This is your fault, Gaijryc. You pushed her away. She may very well be walking toward her death.”
Gaijryc looked at the note for a long while, his anger mounting, his heart pounding in fear for Helina. Was she okay? Did a DarkShine find her already? “Let go, Ryce.”
“If something happens to her, Gaijryc… high ranking prince or not, I’ll kill you myself.”
“If something happens to her, Ryce—” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I’m going with you.”
“What are you doing, Ryce?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you showing such an interest in her? She’s mine.”
“You claim her now? After the spectacle you made at the ball? I was with her as she broke down. No fucking way am I not going with you.”
Gaijryc stared at Ryce, not knowing what to say, knowing he spoke the truth. Really, he just wanted to go by himself, knew he could find her on his own. “Fine.” They both walked out the house, stopping to smell the air and find out the direction Helina had gone.
The confrontation
She watched them leave the house, their strong bodies moving toward the thick forest with deadly intent. She knew where the human female was, had made sure to keep her within her sights at all times. She bent down and picked up the crumpled piece of paper, scanning the words quickly and precisely. She crushed the paper in her hand and tossed it aside. She knew she should have killed the human bitch when she had the chance. Everything was getting too complicated now. This was not how things were supposed to go. She looked at herself in the mirror, her white chiffon dress modest compared to most. It was she who should be standing in front of all the DarkShine, her mate Gaijryc by her side, not some weak pathetic human female ruling over their kind.