Page 75 of Locke

This boy was shy. He had dreams of making toys. He didn’t look like he had a malicious bone in his body.

“I’m going to witness something terrible, aren’t I?” I whispered, as I watched the alpha of the pack put his hand on Amaryllis.

The woman folded her hands in front of her, a frown forming on her lips. “I don’t normally allow humans to be shown the past of their mates while they are being woven into the bond. Transitioning into a shifter is quite delicate. However, this is a special circumstance.”

Excuse me?

Before I could explode with questions, the crowd grew quiet when the alpha hovered over his daughter and pushed her into the ring. There was no love in his eyes, as he ordered her to take on the challenge of a male child, twice her size.

The male was tall and muscular in his build. I would say about fifteen and being paired up against an eight-year-old child was crazy. It was fucking suicide. This was supposed to be her first day of training.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

The powerful alpha remained unfazed, not a muscle twitching, as Amaryllis confidently advanced and unleashed a swift strike. The air crackled with determination as Amaryllis continued to rein blow after blow.

That was until the teenager struck back.

Her mother cried out from the crowd, her hands over her cheeks.

“Why am I a special circumstance? Why am I being shown Locke’s past?”

The woman took in a breath. “To show you how Locke used to be, before he was tainted. He may have ultimately beaten his father many, many years later, but it was a rough road to get there. His body, mind and wolf were broken, and they will always remain so, no matter how much the bond tries to mend it.”

There was that word again.

The crowd cheered as the male hit Amaryllis again. Koen, who I now knew to be Locke, stood and pushed people away from him to enter the ring. His father yelled and pointed for young Locke to stay back. It distracted the opponent enough for Amaryllis to jump and swing her leg to kick her attacker in the head.

Her much taller opponent, with a resounding crash, stumbled and collapsed onto the unforgiving ground. The impactreverberated through the air, accompanied by a chorus of gasps from the spectators. A moment of stunned silence ensued as the defeated figure remained motionless, defeated. Amaryllis, smiled and basked in the sweet taste of victory.

The crowd had a mixture of cheers and groans they handed money to each other.

The fight was quick, and it took everyone by surprise.

Amaryllis stood tall and pulled her shoulders back. Locke’s shoulders slumped in relief and he began walking towards her to congratulate her. Amaryllis skipped, a wide smile on her face as she opened her arms to hug her brother.

The tension in my body left too soon, because I heard Locke scream. Amaryllis’ mouth hung open, her eyes filling with tears. She stumbled forward, landing in Locke’s arms. He screamed again and the crowd roared with confusion and chaos.

I ran through the bodies, trying to get a better look. When I came to the clearing, there was a weeping young Locke, cradling his gasping sister in his arms.

“No, don’t go. Please don’t!” He held her tightly.

His mother rushed beside him, screaming her name, “Amaryllis! Amarillys! No! Gods no, please don’t take my pup. Gods, please no!”

I stood over them, trying to hold back the sobs.What the fuck happened?

“Mother, what do I do?” Locke was covered in blood. He was holding his sister at an angle so the knife in his sister’s back would not go in deeper, as he sat on the ground.

“I don’t know!” his mother cried. “A healer! I need a healer!” She gazed over the crowd, but no one stepped forward. They silently traded off their money from their ruthless gambling.

“Why isn’t anyone coming!?” I cried. I felt the woman behind me. “Where is their healer?!”

The woman gently shook her head. “There were no healers in Blood Rose. The alpha believed if you were weak enough to become injured, you deserved to die.”

My heart constricted, aching with a heaviness that suffocated. I was enveloped in Locke’s agony, as if it were my own, feeling the sharp sting of sorrow piercing through my soul.

Locke’s anguished cry pierced the air, echoing like a mournful howl. Trembling uncontrollably, he gently pressed his quivering lips against his sister’s cooling forehead.

The unbearable pain seared through my chest, tears ran down my cheeks and my body shook. I didn’t know I could feel a pain like this.