"Despite your former husband's actions, the lashes were still fulfilled. That being said, he will face his own punishment for interfering," she said as though I could focus on her words past the pain I felt. "You will now be taken to the deadlands."

She looked at the women holding me and gave them a nod. They both bowed their head with their hands over their hearts.

The women lifted their bowed heads and started dragging my limp body towards the staircase without a word.

I was so tired. Everything hurt. I didn't even have the energy left to lift my head to look into the green eyes that I fell in love with one last time.

The crowd parted to make way as I was dragged away. No one tried to interfere.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I managed a final glance over my shoulder as I was dragged out of the door. I had hoped to catch sight of Ezra, but my eyes locked with the one responsible for my state and situation, Zev. His features we tight. His muscles tense, and lips flattened into a hard line. His typically stone-cold eyes were narrowed and racing with emotions, but before I could make out which ones, the door closed shut.

My body continued to sag and grow heavy as the pain in my back became numbing from the movement. It wasn't long before I wasn't able to stop the blur in my vision from expanding and turning into darkness as unconsciousness brought temporary relief.

* * *

Bumpy inconsistent vibrations greeted me as I awoke. A sharp bump cracked my head against the hard floor I lay on, adding to the pain that already consumed me. The faint hum of mechanics powered by magic told me we were in a moving vehicle before I could open my eyes to the empty back of a van. I could hear the muddled, faint sound of music playing from the front as I lay in a puddle of wetness. Blood.

The woman in the passenger seat turned down the volume. "Do you think this is far enough?"

Her voice sounded hazy and distant in my ears. I blinked my eyes hard against the lure of unconsciousness. It kept pulling at me, tunnelling my vision of the grey, metal wall with black edges.

"Yeah, it should be fine," the driver replied as she brought the van to a stop. The sharp jerk sent fires of pain racing down my spine. Darkness spotted my vision. "I don't want to risk going too far. I heard there were recent sightings of Dark Fae by the border guards."

Through my barely conscious senses, I heard a door slam shut, it was followed by another.

It wasn't long before the back door of the van was being opened.

I cried out when a hand grabbed my ankle and dragged me across the rough, metal floor, but I made no sound when my body dropped onto the cold, hard ground. I couldn't. The pain had stolen my breath, making it impossible to breathe.

The pain was blinding. My eyes crossed, unable to focus as darkness descended once more.

* * *

Something cold and slimy nudged against my cheek.

My eyes struggled to crack open. They were too heavy. Each time I managed to open them slightly, they fell closed.

The nudge came again, harder.

I waited for the pain from the movement to hit, when I realized I felt nothing.

Not only did I not feel pain, but I also couldn't feel my limbs.

My eye cracked open.

Black.

All I could see was black.

For a moment I wondered I I had lost my sight, but then the black mass moved. My heavy eyes caught flashes of fur, large eyes, sharp teeth, and snow.

The large creature barked at me as my mind started slipping back into darkness. Not to escape pain this time, but to seek the warmth it promised. The sound sounded muffled and distant despite the creature being so close.

It nudged me again as I slipped away.

* * *

The next time I came to, it was to agony. I was lying on a hard surface on my stomach with my cheek pressed flat against the rough surface. I could feel sweat bead and drip down my forehead as I tried to keep my breaths shallow to reduce my movement.

Exhaustion still weighed down on my eyes, but the pain radiating from my back kept it from bringing me the relief I craved.

Slowly, my eyes cracked open to the slight of yellows, oranges, and whites.

Flames.

I could hear the sounds of crackles and pops under the whistling sounds of wind. The flames danced in my eyes and cast flickering shadows in the surrounding darkness.

I licked my chapped lips with a dry tongue.

"Thirsty?"

My eyes widened at the sound of a deep rumbling voice of a man. Unable to move, I began to wildly search for the source of the voice with my eyes in the dark space.

When they finally found him, on the other side of the flames, they froze and widened. My heart stalled as my eyes collided with familiar lavender ones.

My voice came out small and whispered; hoarse and terrified.

"Zev."

End

of

Book

One

Book 2 is complete and avaliable on Patreon and book 3 is currently being updated on Patreon! Their Thief book 1 is also available!

https://www.patreon.com/xoDirtyLove