want. You don’t have to go back there without me,” Elijah reassured me as genuine concern radiated from him. I bit my lip and thought over the situation for a moment before answering. I placed my hands over his and squeezed them tightly.
“No, it will be okay. Take care of your business with the Elders Council and we can finally put an end to all of this,” I answered, nodding my head. I was trying to convince myself that this would be the best way. He hesitated for a moment before agreeing. I knew he felt responsible for what was happening to me and his guilt was beginning to eat away at him.
“I will make this right,” Elijah promised as he placed his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply. I needed to get back home as soon as possible. I was overwhelmed with guilt. Had I stayed there perhaps I could have saved them. At the very least, I could have warned them. My family had no idea what was coming for them until it was too late. It was my fault. I sniffed and fought to hold back my tears as I wrapped my arms around Elijah’s neck and squeezed him tightly. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head.
“I’ll get your things.” He broke away from our embrace, uncertainty in his voice. He glanced back toward Olivie and walked off into the master bedroom. My blurry eyes danced over the newspaper. The hum of something vibrating caught my attention and I glanced at the table where my phone laid. I was getting a call and in big letters across the screen, it read Daddy. Something was not right.
“Elijah,” I yelled in panic as my mind tried to figure out what was happening. “She’s lying!”
“Your whole relationship is a lie!” With a flash, Olivie pounced on top of me, her fangs protruding. The air flew rapidly from my lungs as we toppled to the floor, causing my head to bounce harshly off the beige, travertine tiles. I clawed at her feverishly, struggling to get the upper hand.
Suddenly, the weight of the former Queen was no longer paralyzing me. I pushed to my feet and stumbled forward. The wound on my head was worse than I had anticipated. Elijah’s body was now perched over Olivie, ready for the kill. They bit at each other as growls of animalistic anger filled the air. I stumbled back against the table and felt for the wound on the back of my head. Pulling my hand away, it dripped with fresh blood.
“Get out of here,” Elijah growled as he flashed me a look of pure hunger. I turned toward the hallway and began to run. Adrenaline surged through me causing my wound to thump with each accelerated heartbeat. I fell against the walls and used them to steady myself until I finally reached the door. The room blurred and shook for a moment as everything flashed green. I spun around in disbelief, blinking as the forest came into focus.
Chapter twenty-eight
Honeysuckle and Grass
“Elijah,” I screamed into the vast woods. My voice echoed back to me through the rustling of the leaves. I fell against a large tree and rubbed my sore aching head. It was hard to tell if the fog was real or in my imagination. Was any of this real? Was I already dead?
“Elijah?” I yelled into the woods once more as tears welled up in my eyes and a thick lump formed in my throat. My family was okay. Olivie had told a vicious lie to my face without as much as batting an eyelash. My sadness and confusion turned to rage.
I grabbed onto a fallen tree branch and snapped the end off. Not the regular wooden stakes they sell in stores, but it would do in a pinch. I picked away the bark and dead leaves, wrapping my fingers around it tightly until splinters bit into my flesh.
I whipped around and scanned the forest. Only leaves and trees filled my view. I took off running full speed, desperate to find a clearing and my way back to Elijah. Just as a road came into view, I tripped. But the ground was anything but soft. It was flat and cold under my fingers and when I blinked my eyes open, I was back inside of the house.
***
I struggled to catch my breath, to scream for him, but nothing came. I winced in pain as I rolled over onto my