Page 73 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
"You betrayed the plan," she snarled, coughing blood. "You killed the man I loved. You were never going to share anything. The plan was to kill you as soon as the chest was opened, but I guess we are both going down, Alfred."
She drove the Knife of Betrayal into his gut. Alfred choked. Blood burst from his mouth. He stumbled back, the blade buried deep. Lena twisted it cruelly. He gasped once and then collapsed on Lena, twitching, bleeding out beside her. Both of them lay still, gurgling and gasping.
I shifted back, my heart pounding, and rushed to Ruby. She knelt beside Liora, blood running down her arm. Ruby scrambled to the machine, frantically smashing buttons, tears pouring down her cheeks. The extractor sputtered, screeched, then hissed to a halt.
Liora slumped in her restraints.
"Liora," Ruby breathed, rushing to her.
I was there in an instant. My hands shook as I touched her and felt her pulse, which was faint but steady.
"She's alive," Ruby whispered, sobbing.
I nodded, swallowing back the emotion tightening my chest. "We are, too."
"You're bleeding," I whispered.
"It's healing," she said breathlessly.
We turned together and watched as Alfred was dying, his eyes wide and empty. His wolf form twitched once more, andthen it stilled. Beside him, Lena's body lay broken, gasping one last time before going completely still. Silence fell across the room like a shroud. It was over. At last.
I wrapped my arms around Ruby and pulled her into me. She didn't cry, not yet. Her eyes were still fixed on the destruction.
I looked around and saw Darius, his eyes taking in all that had happened like a witness. He gave a slow nod, a satisfied glint in his eyes. I nodded also, and he left the room as quietly as he came.
Ruby sobbed. I dropped beside her. My hands were shaking as I drew her to my chest. Ruby collapsed against me and cried.
"You found us," Ruby whispered.
"I had to," I rasped. "I will always find you."
For the first time in my life since the flames swallowed my home, I felt something I thought I'd never touch again.
Peace.
And a future worth fighting for.
Chapter 32
Ruby
Relief hit me like a crashing wave. It was over.
The nightmare, the fear, the weight of our past, we had survived. Drew was here, warm, breathing, and bloodied, but alive. His arms wrapped around me, and I clung to him, my fingers digging into the torn fabric of his shirt as if letting go would undo everything. My body shook with sobs from overwhelming relief.
He came just in time to save us.
I held Liora close, cradling her face, checking her breathing, brushing damp strands of hair from her forehead. Her chest rose and fell, though shallow, but steady. Relief crashed through me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
"She's okay," I whispered, more to myself than anyone.
Only then did I turn to Drew. I buried my face in his chest, the scent of stormy cedar wood wrapping around me, wild and soothing. It anchored me and calmed every frayed nerve screaming in my body. My tears soaked into his skin as I sobbedfreely into him, no longer trying to be strong, no longer carrying it all alone.
Drew held me tighter, his heartbeat thudding steadily beneath my ear. Then, his voice dropped low, worried. "Ruby, your arm. Let me see it."
I hesitated, but he was already pulling back just enough to look at me, his eyes soft and full of concern. Slowly, I extended my injured arm. Blood stained the torn fabric of my sleeve, the skin beneath bruised and raw. His fingers ghosted over the wound with a gentleness that undid me all over again.
"I'm okay," I whispered, even though I wasn't.
