His Shadow Luna

Chapter 9: Shadows-3

"Go," she cleared her throat. "I'll be right after you."

"F*ck!" the guy said, eyes travelling up and down her wounded body, "now that I look at you, you don't look okay. What do you think, Issa?"

"Help her, and let's go!" the other assassin shook her head. "If Romero wants to see us that urgently, we are in deep s**t. And it looks like we already lost three people. We'd better bring her back."

The man walked towards Elene and roughly lifted her in his massive arms.

"Don't be shy," he muttered when she tried to protest. "You'll dress in the truck."

Elene knew she couldn't cause a scene. She had to come up with a new plan urgently.

Bia was working tirelessly, trying to heal her, but it was going slowly. They went through a lot today.

Don't heal my face, Elene warned her. Or they'll recognise me.

Wasn't planning to, Bia grunted. I have enough work here without that! We are getting weaker after — whatever it all was.

Do we wield shadows? The Princess asked her hopefully.

I— don't know. Bia admitted, and Elene respected her honesty.

A big military truck was waiting for them, and Elene tensed seeing a man in black clothes and face mask gesture for them to get to the back of the truck.

Although, maybe it was for the best. She could jump off when no one noticed… Or kill the ones who were there with her and then escape…

The train of thought broke when the guy who held her simply threw her into the back through the opening in the fabric, and she landed on the dirty floor surrounded by black, dirty boots.

At least a dozen men and women wearing identical black uniforms stared at her.

"Is that the new girl?" Someone chuckled as a few guys whistled. "Which bus ran over her?"

"I'd be careful if I were you." The guy who brought her there got inside as well. "We barely said a word to her, and her shadows almost slashed Issa."

"And you," the woman with blue hair was the last one to join them. "She made Amir p*ss his pants."

Another wave of whistles rippled, this time approving and more respectful.

Elene had no choice. She had to play the role as long as she could.

Slowly, she rose from the floor. Still underdressed and bloody, barely covered with Aconite's red scarf and with the backpack in her hands, which she now realised had spare clothes, she walked to one of the few empty seats.

Everyone seemed to already mind their own business and she quickly scanned the space.

The engine started before she pulled on a pair of black combat pants; her many cuts made it almost too painful.

After she was done with the clothes, she wrapped the scarf around her head and face to hide them completely. Then, she counted how many Southerners were accompanying her on that bizarre trip to gods knew where.

Twenty-one. There were twenty-one assassins in the back of this truck with her. She had no chance of killing them all now, not in her current state.

Just concentrate on healing, Bia suggested, and Elene had to agree. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

They drove for what seemed like hours, not giving the Princess a single chance to escape unnoticed. She peeked behind the truck's curtain and noticed the woods were far behind. They were entering what looked like a city now.

"That northern b*tch was an easy target." A guy next to her laughed with his friend, sharing a flask of a bad-smelling drink.

"I saw remnants of her body," another added. "Smoking hot. Literally."

A few men burst out laughing.

"The chunks I saw were!" Someone else chimed in.

Elene closed her eyes, clenching her fists hidden under the scarf and holding back the tears.

They were talking about her loyal Claire. Claire who gave her life for her protection. Claire who used to always be by her side.

Elene knew she couldn't react, couldn't give herself away.

She had to keep quiet.

Had to take all that and do nothing.

"Hey, new girl," the man from before touched her shoulder. "Did you pass out?"

"Got bored listening to all of you whining," she said, her voice laced with venom, and everyone around her got quiet.

She probably shouldn't have said that.

"Anyway, we are back. Let's go." Amir offered her a hand, but she stood up on her own and walked past him.

"No need," she said. "You will not be pretending to be tough warriors helping a weak girl after I did all the work tonight."

A part of her was still afraid it was a joke, and one of them would recognise her now. She kept her face covered, but no one seemed to pay attention anyway.

They all wore similar black outfits, and many had face masks on. In a way, it was perfect.

Bia stirred inside her, and Elene had to strengthen her control. The last thing she needed was for her wolf to fail her now. Although after a day they had, it wouldn't be surprising.

What is up with you? she hissed and a wave of unexpected emotions covered her whole. Overwhelmed, she felt like she was soaring, pulled to something... or someone.

That feeling, that sensation she had been waiting for her whole life… It was happening to her now.

"Mate," Bia whispered, and a wave of realisation pulsed through Elene.

It couldn't be.

The Moon Goddess had to be kidding.

One of these murderers couldn't have possibly been her mate.

It was too cruel! Too unfair! Too—

She was still too disoriented to understand what was happening.

"Attention!" Someone shouted, and people around her formed a line. She was shoved into it, too, by the blue-haired Issa while still trying to understand which one of these monsters was her fated one.

"It's the General," someone whispered, and Elene's head snapped to a tall figure walking towards them from a tall building that reminded her of an old cathedral. The courtyard they were in froze in respect and fear for that one person.

Forrest Romero looked so angry. Not an ounce of the carefree man she met in the East was there now.

There was a deep wrinkle between his brows as he took them all in.

"What the hell do you think you were doing out there?" He demanded angrily from the group, and for a few moments, no one dared to reply.

"Sir, we received an order from above," someone replied.

"You only take orders from me!" he snarled, and something shiny fell out of his pocket. It circled down the stone pavement and stopped when it hit Elene's boot.

Romero swore under his breath and was about to bend and pick it up when their eyes locked and now they both knew…

They were mates.