Page 35 of Prey of the Lycan Queen (Unwanted #2)
Chapter Thirty-Four
I wake up in a sweat to Gnash whimpering, my heart racing in my chest only to find it is now dark.
Hunter is frantically tugging the blanket trying to wake me, stopping when he notices my eyes open.
Sitting up, Hunter looks at Gnash and whines loudly.
Confusion washes over me, and I don’t even remember falling asleep.
I clutch my head which is starting to throb.
“Gnash?” just as I spot Gnash by the fireplace.
A wave of panic crashes over me, seeing him standing over his brother, Shadow.
Shaking off my sleepiness, I stumble toward them, my body swaying under a sudden bout of dizziness.
“Hey boy, what’s wrong?” I try to sound soothing, my fingers gingerly sweeping through Shadow’s fur, but his panting fills me with unease.
Gnash nudges him with his nose, trying to get Shadow up, but nothing works, not even when he nips his ear. Shadow just huffs a breath out, his lungs making a rattling noise as if he is struggling to breathe.
Rushing back toward the bed, my hand falls onto Zeke’s sweaty chest. “Zeke! Wake up!” I urge. He snaps awake, the panic in his eyes mirroring my fear.
“Zirah?” he whispers, his voice raspy from sleep, his gaze goes to the windows to see it is dark outside. “What time is it, why is it dark?” he asks, tossing the blanket back. “And who turned the heat up?” he growls, but I grip his face.
“Something’s wrong with Shadow,” I manage to utter. Suddenly, vertigo washes over me, and my vision blurs as I tumble onto the bed.
“What’s wrong, Shadow,” Zeke asks, lifting his head to look at the wolf, his brows creasing in confusion.
A veil of perspiration clings to my forehead, droplets streaking down my face. My heart hammers relentlessly against my ribs. The room starts spinning, and Zeke’s words seem to be drifting from a distance.
“Are you alright?” he asks, tapping my face as I stare up at him.
“I think I stood up too fast,” I admit.
“Dammit, where is Lyon?” His voice sounds slightly panicked. So many questions spin relentlessly in my mind as I try to wrestle my focus back from the disorientation. How did we manage to sleep all day?
“He was only supposed to be an hour and a half away!” Zeke says, dialing Lyon’s number.
“Maybe something came up. Has he tried to call you?”
Zeke shakes his head. “No.” The phone rings out and goes to voicemail. He tries a few more times getting the same thing. “Where is he?” he snarls, dialing another number. He holds the phone to his ear. “And why isn’t Regan answering his phone now either, damn it!” he growls.
Grabbing Shadow’s water bowl I move to refill it with fresh water. Zeke’s voice dwindles into an echo as I stagger into the adjoining bathroom, each step a monumental task. I manage to fill a bowl with water, but my hands are trembling.
Zeke paces nervously. “I just messaged some of the guards to send scouts out to look for Lyon. I can’t believe we slept so long,” he mutters, still typing text messages into his phone.
When I’m back in the bedroom, I urge Shadow to take a sip from the bowl. “Come on, boy,” I coax, my voice shaky and fragile. “Still no answer?” I ask, looking at Zeke and he shakes his head.
Suddenly, a loud crash resonates from outside, jolting my attention away from Shadow. I look to the balcony, wondering what is going on out there.
“I’ll send someone to get in touch with Regan. No one is answering at the High Kingdom either or in the city. It’s almost like there is no service for some reason,” he states, already halfway out of the door.
A few seconds later, the noise of shattering glass resonates loudly and Zeke jolts, looking toward the bedroom door. “What was that?” I ask, but Zeke holds up a finger telling me to be quiet. He moves toward the door and steps outside.
I grind my teeth, fighting against the vertigo, and follow him onto the landing. The world oscillates before my eyes, a sinister, spinning vortex.
“Zeke,” I mumble, my stomach churning, and I feel on the verge of throwing up.
But before I can muster another word, I find myself pinned against the wall, Zeke’s hand firmly covering my mouth.
He holds a finger against his lips, and as a noise sounds from somewhere inside the castle, his eyes bulge with a silent warning that sends icy tendrils of fear snaking down my spine.
An animalistic growl shatters the silence.
Gnash and Hunter step out the bedroom door beside me with hackles raised.
Both their eyes are on the stairs, and Zeke peeks down at them too.
With calculated steps, Hunter and Gnash move forward.
When a savage snarl leaves Gnash, both wolves surge down the stairs.
“Go!” Zeke commands, nudging me back into the safety of the room.
But terror anchors me in place, the agonized whimper of Gnash has me frozen.
“Gnash,” I manage to choke out, my fingers grasping at the edges of my magic, but it slips away.
I stare at my hands, and so does Zeke before his eyes dart behind him to the stairs.
“Go, I will keep them distracted.”
“What?” I blurt, grabbing his arm. Zeke turns to say something when a strange look crosses his features. His lips part, and he gasps loudly in pain.
Zeke crumples to the ground unexpectedly, a pained grunt tearing from his throat as he hits the ground.
“Zeke!” I panic, dropping by his side.
“Mandrake root,” he rasps as his body goes limp. My hand darts out, desperately trying to help him, but my magic fizzles instantly as panic threatens to consume me.
Eerie laughter reverberates through the silence, sending shivers racing down my spine as my eyes scan the place. A man emerges from the shadowy staircase, his eyes glinting in the darkness.
“Doesn’t it suck being cursed? One falls, and they all follow,” he sneers.
I stagger forward and step over Zeke, bracing myself to confront the intruder. However, my vision begins to tunnel, each breath a battle as the man turns blurry and draws closer.
“One...two...and down she goes,” the man’s taunting laughter rings in my ears just as the floor rushes up to greet me. “One king left, and we’ve taken down the lycan kingdoms,” his words echo around me as I am forced to surrender to the void and everything goes black.