Chapter 347 - 81: The Price of Mercy

Aurora was not about to lie still and let anyone help her. Dane had expected as much.

She had already fought off every attempt to get close, the curse shifting her body by the minute. Claws sprouted from her fingertips, turning her nails to pitch before receding into skin. Sharp fangs lengthened over her lips only to shrink moments later. With every ebb and surge, her grip on her own body slipped a little further away.

She writhed in the grass beside the overturned tables, dragging ragged air into her lungs. The left shoulder of her dress hung in ribbons where the wolf’s jaws had clamped down, heavy blood soaking through the silk and streaming down her arm. Smears of ruined makeup painted her cheeks, and damp strands of hair clung to her pale face.

"Get away from me!"

She lashed out at anyone who neared, forcing the surrounding wolves to hold back.

Elara was the first to try again. She had kept her distance since they pulled Aurora from the creature, but watching her friend thrash on the turf finally dragged her past caution.

"Aurora."

Aurora’s head snapped toward the sound, her eyes burning a brilliant, unnatural yellow.

Elara froze, though she didn’t retreat. "Aurora, I know you’re in there," she coaxed softly, holding an open palm out as she edged forward. "Just calm down and let them help you."

Aurora stared. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, and Dane caught the telltale glint of claws sliding free.

"Elara, don’t!"

Aurora lunged.

Elara threw herself backward just as five razor-sharp tips slashed through the air where her arm had been a second prior. She hit the dirt hard, immediately clutching her ripped sleeve.

"Bloody hell!"

Hannah let out a sharp laugh.

Elara whipped around from the ground. "You think that’s funny?"

"I told you not to go near her," Hannah said coolly.

"I was trying to help!"

"And she almost took your arm."

Elara glared down at the shredded fabric near her elbow. "It would have been a very useful arm."

Under different circumstances, Dane might have appreciated the gallows humor. Instead, his focus remained fixed on Aurora, who had curled onto her side, pressing both hands against her temples as a low groan tore from her throat.

Four of her guards broke rank and rushed toward her, but Dane and Henrik moved instantly, cutting the men off before they reached her.

"Stop," Dane ordered.

The guards halted, glaring, but Dane held their gaze with absolute authority.

"Your princess is not herself. She was bitten by a cursed wolf, and the affliction is already taking root. If you get close enough for her to snap at you, you’re next."

One of the men peered past him at the trembling form in the grass. "She’s still our princess."

"And you’re still wolves who can be infected," Dane shot back, refusing to budge. "You can’t protect her by becoming additional casualties."

The four guards exchanged uneasy glances, visibly torn between their loyalty and the nightmare unfolding on the lawn. One took a tentative step forward anyway.

Henrik instantly slid into his path. "Don’t."

The silence hung heavy for several seconds as duty clashed with self-preservation. Slowly, reluctantly, the guards stepped back.

An agonizing scream drew Dane back to Aurora.

She had balled herself tight, her claws tearing up clumps of grass as another wave of agony ripped through her.

"Make it stop!"

Thick, black veins had invaded her neck, climbing rapidly toward her jaw. Her body shook with violent tremors as she tried to fight it off, but when she lifted her head, the yellow in her eyes had completely swallowed her pupils.

Dane’s stomach plummeted. The corruption was spreading far too fast.

"Priestess."

"I’m here," she replied, standing beside Sonia and watching the transformation unfold.

"How long before she loses control entirely?"

"I can’t say."

"Then tell me what you do know."

"The curse has taken complete hold," the priestess said flatly.

Aurora suddenly pushed herself upright, claws digging into the dirt to keep her steady.

"Don’t come near me!"

Ramon took a slow, calculated step forward. "Easy, Aurora."

She snapped her fangs in response, the sharp click echoing across the lawn. Ramon paused, eyes locked on her movement.

"She’s losing it," Blane muttered beside Dane.

Dane nodded. He knew what happened when Hollow Death took over; reason burned away, leaving only raw, violent strength behind.

"Everyone move back!"

The circle widened as the wolves gave her space. Aurora looked frantically from one face to the next, her chest heaving. Her eyes swept the courtyard without a shred of recognition, viewing lifelong allies as enemies trapping her in a corner.

Then, she charged.

Ramon intercepted her before she reached the line, both of them crashing heavily into the grass. He snatched her wrists a fraction of a second before her claws reached his throat. Aurora twisted beneath him with terrifying power, thrashing to break his grip.

"Let me go!"

Her nails scraped violently across the heavy leather guard covering Ramon’s forearm. Blane dropped beside them, wrapping his arms around her upper chest to pin her down. She kicked back blindly, her heel catching him hard in the thigh.

Blane grunted through the pain, tightening his hold. "She’s stronger than she looks!"

"She’s a Lycan," Dane said, stepping in close.

"I noticed!"

Aurora slammed the back of her head into Blane’s face. He flinched, his grip slipping just enough for her to break free and sweep his legs out from under him.

Before she could spring up, Ramon tackled her by the waist.

She fought him like a wild animal, her claws shredding his tunic as she raked for his chest. Dane surged forward, but Ramon barked over the noise, "Stay back!"

Ramon managed to pin her arms against her ribs while Blane scrambled up and threw his full body weight across her legs. Even pinned by two full-grown warriors, Aurora thrashed violently, fangs bared to the air.

"Kill me!" she shrieked, the raw panic in her voice cutting through the snarls.

Dane froze.

There was still a fragment of her mind left, fully aware of what she was becoming.

"I can’t hold her much longer!" Ramon grunted, his muscles straining against her unnatural surges.

Ivy stepped into the chaos, holding a small glass syringe filled with pale liquid.

"Wolfsbane."

Dane glanced at the needle, then back to Aurora. "Will it stop her?"

"It should slow the spread long enough to bind her."

Aurora spotted the glass cylinder, terror instantly replacing her rage.

"No!"

She thrashed with renewed frenzy, nearly pitching Ramon off.

"Now, Ivy!"

Aurora kicked wildly, but Blane caught her ankles and slammed them into the dirt. Ivy dropped to her knees and drove the needle straight into Aurora’s chest.

Aurora let out a long, shattering scream, her entire spine curving as her body went rigid.

For a harrowing moment, her strength seemed to surge rather than fade, forcing a grunt from Ramon. Then, all at once, the tension snapped.

Her claws withdrew. Her fangs shrank back into her gums. Her head fell heavy against Ramon’s shoulder, her yellow eyes rolling back before her lids slipped shut.

Silence descended on the courtyard.

Ramon remained crouched over her, breathing heavily, before he gently laid her back against the grass.

Dane stepped up and pressed two fingers to her pulse point. It was slow, but steady.

"She’s unconscious."