The Corollaria (20 page)

“He lied.”

Emily
didn’t move.  Luke sighed as he rested his dirty hands on her arms. She stiffened at first, but he didn’t let go this time.  Instead, he pulled her to him, turning her to face him and wrapping his arms around her.

She
could no longer resist. She melted into him, resting her forehead against his ragged t-shirt.

In that
moment, it was all that mattered.  All the fragmented parts of her suddenly fused, the longing ache inside her full.

His lips found her ear, “I’m so sorry, Em.  I should have never left you.  I just wanted—”

“Trent and Vanessa are here too,” Emily interrupted him.  She couldn’t let her emotions make her weak now.  She and Luke would have to work this out later. Right now, she needed to focus.  “We have to find them.”

Emily looked up, her ey
es met his.  “I have to kill him.”

Luke frowned and started to open his mouth.  Emily pressed two fingers to his lips, shivering at the intimate contact.

“I went to see a witch,” she revealed. “My Aunt Lucy’s daughter actually.  She said—”

Emily looked down for a moment and then back up at him through her long dark lashes.  She took a deep breath, her blue eyes glowed violently with an unreada
ble emotion as she declared, “I’m the only one that can kill him.”

Luke
stared silently at her for several heartbeats. A new determination hardened in his stormy eyes matching hers.  He grabbed her hand as they ventured into the building.

~000~

Trent closed his eyes, trying to listen for any sign of movement in the immense warehouse.  He heard a soft murmuring, some distance away.  Then he heard her name. 
Luke
, he thought.  And he was filled with battling emotions. Relief that his pack brother was alive. Guilt for his betrayal, for loving the same girl.  And a sharp pang he couldn’t name that sliced through him.

“Trent,” Carson and Jenny appeared next to him, startling him from his thoughts.  He’d almost forgot he’d texted him after he’d left Emily.
  They’d gotten here fast.

Trent fell in behind Carson easily as they walked down another long
, dark, silent hallway.  A reddish orange light glowed from a doorway up ahead and they heard voices coming from the same direction.

The three silently slipped into the room, sticking to the shadows. Vanessa and Samuel stood in the middle of the room.

“Where is Curtis?” Vanessa demanded. Her normally controlled voice wavered.

“He’s—”

“Dead,” Luke finished as he and Emily stepped into the large office like room.  A multitude of candles littered the ground and sparse furniture, giving the whole place an eerie glow.  Trent and Carson and Jenny stepped out from the shadows.

A wicked smile
stretched across Samuel’s face, and he clapped his hands together joyously.  “Oh good.  We’re all here.”

He snapped his fingers and several vampires along with nasty demon beasts appeared.

“Emily, my dear,” Samuel’s voice was syrupy sweet.  He reached out his hand.  “Your place is with me. Come.”

Emily raised her chin defiantly.  “Never.”

“As you wish.”

S
amuel snapped his fingers again and his minions didn’t hesitate to attack. A battle began to rage around Luke and Emily.  The Hunters, who Carson must have alerted, poured into the room from the windows that ran across the tall walls of the building.

Samuel grinned, red and orange flames from the candles blazed against his face
. Luke shifted. A growl erupted from his chest as he placed his large body in front of Emily.

Emily gripped
her dagger tighter. Her knuckles were white against the hilt.

Luke’s
giant grey wolf leaped into the air, knocking Samuel down. The vampire and the wolf grappled on the dusty floor.  Luke’s jaw’s snapped, his teeth tearing into flesh.  Stolen blood poured from Samuel’s wounds, but he managed to summon enough strength to grab Luke and throw him. Luke hit the wall with a sickening thud. His body fell limply to the ground.

Emily screamed. 

Samuel was still on the ground, unable to get up. Emily stalked forward until she was standing over him. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.  Rage and pain and the need for revenge roared inside her.

And with a suddenness that would have normally scared her, the rest of the world fell away.  Noises of the other wolves and Vanessa and Jenny fighting
the horde of demons and vampires muted.  Her vision tunneled.  Her hands stopped shaking. Her breathing slowed.

Samuel grinned at her, his teeth smeared with
bright crimson blood.

Emily’s eyes were dark, blue-black with a fierce determination, deadly with anger and vengeance.  She raised the dagger and without hesitation she slammed it down, driving the blade into Samuel’s chest. 

A primal cry erupted from his chest a second before flames engulfed his body, licking at his flesh.  Emily released the dagger, falling to her back.  Exhaustion and shock and relief overwhelmed her. Consumed her.

In seconds, Samuel was nothing but ash.
 

S
trong familiar arms wrapped around her, as Trent pulled her into his chest.  He pulled back a moment later and cupped her face in his hands.

“Are you alright?” he asked.  Emily nodded.  Trent tenderly wiped away her tears.

“What the hell?” Luke growled suddenly. Trent dropped his hands and Emily quickly stood, putting space between them.

“Luke,” Trent spoke as his angry pack brother advanced on him.  “I didn’t—”

“I asked you to take care of her!” Luke roared.  “Not steal my girl!”

Trent snorted.  He looked down and shook his head for a moment before looking back up to meet Luke’s angry eyes.  Trent closed the distance between them and placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder.  Luke bristled.  Trent looked at Emily once.  Jenny had grabbed her hand, stopping her from intervening.

  “Luke, brother, I’m sorry,” Trent apologized. “But, she can’t be stolen anyways.”

Trent walked out without looking back.

Luke met Emily’s gaze.  He was angry and hurt, but looking at her, he remembered it was his own fault.  He had left.  Luke’s face softened, regret and apology creased his face.

“Luke?” she called softly.

“I’m sorry, Em,” he said thickly. Luke turned and walked away.

“Let him go, Emily,” Jenny said in her ear, still holding onto her arm.  “Just give it a moment, it’ll all be okay.”

Emily pressed her lips together.
How did this become such a mess?

~000~

“Luke!” Emily bolted upright. Terror gripped her and her eyes flew open.

But he was there, a moment later, kneeling on the bed
, his hands framed her face.

“Shhh,” he whispered soothingly.  Emily’s arms wrapped a
round him, her fingers clutched at his back. She buried her face in the crook of his neck.  “I’m here.”

He was so warm and familiar, his arms strong and secure as they fit around her.  His lips sent a shiver down her spine as he pressed them
against her ear.  Emily’s anger, resentment and guilt melted away.  All that mattered was he was here. Luke was here.

“I’m s
o sorry,” he breathed as he kissed her neck.  Luke pulled back to look into her sparkling blue eyes. “I’ll never leave you again. I promise.”

“I’m sorry too,” she whispered.

Emily pulled him to her then. Their lips met in a slow kiss, connecting, melding, opening. Tongues touching and twisting together, hands exploring. Love consuming.

Only three words echoed in her head.  She could feel the weight of them, the promise,
and the resolution in her bones.

It’s finally over.

Courtney Lyn Batten is also the author of
Chocolate, Whisky, and Champagne: A book of Poems
and
Sweetwater: The Complete Series
available
on Amazon, Barnes n Noble, Smashwords, and iBooks in paperback and ebook form. She is a wife, a mother of two, and an elementary school teacher.

You can follow her on Twitter: @courtneysaurus_

Check out her Facebook page: facebook.com/courtneylynbattenauthorpage

Or stop by her blog: courtneylynbatten.blogspot.com