Page 90 of Forsaken Devotion: Part 2
“With the tattoos?” she wheezed.
She palmed her chest, exhaling harshly as she doubled over.
“You’re going to kill me at this rate.”
“Stop being dramatic, Elain,” I snapped and placed my fists on my waist. As much as I didn’t like the woman, she’d birthed Lucian, which meant she’d be around. I may as well make it clear that I wouldn’t be bullied by her. It wasn’t like she could dislike me more than she already did.
“Dramatic?” Her mouth had fully opened, and she stared, shaking her head at me.
The smell of shifter tickled my nose, and I turned, too late to do anything about the fist flying at my face. I grunted, cupping my mouth. My teeth nicked my lip, and blood flooded my tongue. I spat the copper taste onto the grass.
I raised my eyes to find Cierra watching me as she held Elain’s hair with one hand, while the other held a gun to her temple.
I froze, scanning the situation. Elain panted, her eyes flicking side to side. Cierra looked like a different person. She had dark rings under her crazed eyes, she was dressed in too-large clothes, and her hair had grown out until her roots showed her pale strands. The same way it had been when I first saw her in Lucian’s office right after his rejection. I’d never directly asked him if it was her, because I always assumed it was, now, I had absolute confirmation.
“Cierra, let her go.” Her bloodshot eyes were too wide.
“Why are you attacking me?” Elain screamed.
“Shut the fuck up, Elain,” Cierra shouted and pushed the gun to her temple harder. Elain winced. A small—okay, a large part of me—was on the verge of rushing her. Even if Elain was an utter bitch, I wasn’t going to have a member of my pack die, least of all the woman who gave birth to my mate.
But I couldn’t act so rashly.
I put my hands up instead.
“What do you want, Cierra?”
“You. Dead,” she sneered at me. “Follow me.” She backed up, dragging Elain with her. She kept her pace steady, and it was clear she’d studied the area. She had a set direction she headed toward as we went deeper into the parking lot. I followed slowly, trying to figure out my next move. I couldn’t let her kill Lucian’s mom. For a moment, I debated—would she? They’d seemed close. I studied her frantic expression.
Cierra’s eyes twitched. Yeah, she would; she wasn’t fully there.
“Open the back of the van,” she snapped, jerking her chin toward the only black van around. I did as she asked, keeping cognizant of any opening to attack her.
There was no way I was going with her. I just needed her to move that gun away from Elain’s temple. My chances were becoming slimmer and slimmer.
I popped the back of the van open. It was a metal-encased area with a metal sheet blocking the driver’s seat. If she put me in here, I would never escape, I had no doubt.
“Get in,” Cierra ordered.
“We can talk about this,” I started. Cierra detached the gun from Elain and whipped it toward me.
She shot at me, and a sting fired across my bicep. I cried out and clasped my arm. Blood immediately slicked my palm. The area went numb. Fuck. I couldn’t check the damage because I refused to take my eyes off her.
“I said,get in.”
“Please let me go,” Elain begged. “Kill her if you must, but I’ve been nothing but supportive of you.”
Unbelievable. She was a real piece of work. I shook my head, trying to shove off the dizziness. I’d rather die than go inside the van.
Movement behind Cierra was too quick for me to keep up with. Verity brought the serving tray down on the back of Cierra’s head. The gun went off again, and I dove to the ground. Cierra stumbled to the side, the gun slipping out of her hand.
Elain crouched, huddling in place, her eyes wide and unfocused.
“Get her out of here,” I shouted at Verity and bounced to my feet, lunging at Cierra. I snagged her ankle and lost my balance, falling on my knees into the cement. Her fingertips were inches from the gun.
“I called Alex.” Verity’s voice echoed from the distance, but I couldn’t concentrate on the help that would come. Cierra managed to grab the handle, and I lunged for her wrist, pointing it away from my face.
She writhed, kicking at me, but I fought until my knees straddled her waist.
