Her eyelids felt heavy and the swirl of snow obstructed her vision. She blinked away the deep black that wanted to take her. She couldn’t go now. Not yet, he still needed her. Someone needed her. Jon needed her.
She saw the huge form and the swing of the branch like a bat heading for Jon. “Lucas no!”
He didn’t stop the arch of his swing and she watched in horror as Jon went down and stayed down. Horrified, she screamed when Lucas pulled back for a second swing. “No! You’ll kill him!” She crawled to him. Ice and dirt tore at her fingers as the rocks and twigs of the earth scraped her raw. But still she crawled, still she moved forward.
He was so still.
Lucas turned on her, his chest heaving with exertion and the wild glint of bloodlust left her colder than any freak winter storm could. She reached Jon, curling her fingers over his wrist as a sob hiccupped from her chest. His arm and shoulder were at an odd angle and he was turned away from her. Was he breathing? She couldn’t see his chest moving, just the awful angles that could only mean pain. Or worse.
Lucas gripped her by her hair and hauled her away from Jon, “Get away from him, you whore! That’s what you get for leaving me, Cameron. You made me do that!”
She whimpered and fell limp against him. It was her fault. She’d done that to him. It may have been Lucas’ hands, but it was her fate that had killed him, or was killing him now. Lucas wouldn’t let him live. The fight drained out of her. There was nothing he could do to her now. He’d won. It just didn’t matter anymore. She wanted to die, that would at least finally bring her peace.
He dragged her over to Jon. “Look at him and learn, Cameron. You will never leave me, do you understand?”
“No,” she whispered. He was supposed to kill her. He’d said she would die now. She’d heard him say it at Jon’s cabin, hadn’t she?
He pushed her down next to Jon, her cheek pressed to the soft black t-shirt he wore. “I’ll always find you.” His voice was low in her ear. Even with the howling wind, it was his vicious voice that sent a chill down her back.
She could feel the warmth leaving Jon as tears mixed with snowflakes leaving just the impression of him. Just Jon sleeping, that’s all it was. “Just kill me, Lucas. Just kill me and get it over with.” The weariness was complete.
His fingers curled into the nape of her neck as he brought her into his chest. The overpowering scent of musk and pine assaulted her. Lucas’ scent, not Jon’s. It would never be Jon’s again.
Then she heard it. The softest, sweetest sound she would ever hear. It was the grumble of her name on the wind. A stillness settled over her as Jon turned his head her way. She blinked against the helpless tears and locked on his eyes. Finding her feet she leaned against Lucas and pushed him back.
“I understand, Lucas.” She gripped his coat and leaned on him, as if she’d surrendered.
He looked down at her, the wildness was gentled at her words. His smooth, polished smile was almost normal as she’d said the words that would always bring him happiness. He touched her face. “I knew you would.”
Getting him away from Jon was paramount. She stumbled as her body betrayed her will. Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her up. Her skin crawled at his touch, but if it meant getting away then it just didn’t matter what happened to her.
“Let’s just go, okay?”
Lucas looked back over his shoulder at Jon on the ground. “I need to take care of something first. It’s to protect you,” he said and brushed his fingers down her cheek.
Fighting the need to shrink back, she only nodded. When he pulled away from her and crouched for the branch again she choked on a sob. No! her brain screamed. He hefted the limb and raised it over his head to finish Jon off.
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