Page 63 of Rejected By the Shifter King

"Our prince says charge!"

Her scream was the point of no return. In a flash, Fae soldiers charged up the hill, driven by a command that was nothing but a lie. And the moment they made it to the top—-

"NO!"

But it was too late. Each and every one of his soldiers had disappeared.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

The whole damn place was a portal, and three quarters of his men had fallen into it. He looked at Fina, and the spymaster's pallor told him she already knew what he was thinking of.

"Your Highness, no." Fina was still shaking in horror, aghast at seeing the soldiers disappear into the enemy's lair.Alain was right, she thought sickly. There had been so many red flags sticking out about the whole operation, but she had ignored them all in her bid to steal the prince from Estrella.

And now, the prince was going to pay for her selfishness.

She turned to Lysander, intending to offer to rescue them even if it meant that she'd die trying, but the prince didn't even let her speak.

"Get the rest of my men to safety. Ask for backup from L'Alliance—-"

"But Your Highness..." Fina's voice was weak. "If we ask for their help, they might—-"

"I don't give a fuck what they think, Fina. Can't you see how many lives are at stake?" Violet eyes blazed at her. "So can you fucking do this or not?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness."

"Don't fail me again."

And then Lysander was charging up alone...and in the next moment, he, too, was gone.

****

LYSANDER SHIFTED INTOa beast as he crossed the portal, and he wasted no time digging his claws into the soil the moment he landed.

The only reason he had agreed to fighting an uphill battle was because of his ability to reshape the land. His powers were meant to even the battlefield and take away whatever terrestial advantages the vampires had working for them.

Or at least that was the plan...until he realized that nothing was happening.

Fuck.

He yanked his claws out and dug them back deeper.Come on, come on.But nothing happened, and when the beast inside him started howling -

FUCK.

They were all fucked.

Lysander managed to rip his claws out before the poison could completely infiltrate his system, but not fast enough to escape unscathed. The poison had found its way to his inner beast, flaying it alive, and what it felt, Lysander felt, too. The pain was excruciating, and it drove him to his knees as he struggled to keep his senses intact. He cast a wild look about him and swore under his breath when he saw his men vastly outnumbered.Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Fina's cover was blown, and the vampires had been playing her from the start. It was the only reason for the vampires to have had the time to prepare a trap of this scale. A Sceleri - perhaps not Danilo himself, but someone else - had gotten to his spymaster, retrieving information from Fina's mind without her even knowing it was happening.

Vampires were crawling all over the place, and his men were vastly outnumbered. The poison slowed him down, puncturing him from within, but still Lysander forged on, leaping into the very front of his troops so he could take the brunt of their attack.

They launched themselves at him like full-sized leeches, but he swiftly swiped them away even as he looked back at his men and roared at them.Leave, goddammit.He wouldn't be able to hold the tide back forever, but he was determined to keep the vampires away until his men were able to travel back to their realm.

He forged forward, using everything he still had in his power to keep the vampires from running after his men. His horns began to drip of blood and torn flesh began to build under his claws. He fought with all his might, but when he heard a Fae soldier cry out, a part of him already knew...

Even as he fought harder, took every damn risk possible, a part of him already goddamn knew...

He might be able to save a few. Maybe even save a good number of them. But he would not be able to save everyone.