Chapter 94: The rooftop
Yuki thrashed and screamed in his arms, asking him to let go of her, but the bastard turned deaf. Kieran tightened his hold around Yuki’s fragile frame and burst into the forest without another word.
Rain hammered against the trees, turning the narrow forest trail between the Alpha residence and the Beta estate into slippery mud. Wet branches whipped against his shoulders as he sprinted through the darkness. His powerful legs barely seemed to touch the ground, each stride carrying them several metres forward.
"Put me down!" Yuki shouted, twisting violently in his arms.
She shoved against his chest, kicked her legs, and even dug her nails into his arm, but Kieran did not loosen his grip.
"Stop struggling," he said through gritted teeth.
"I said let me go!" she screamed.
Frustration boiled over. She leaned forward and bit hard into his shoulder. His muscles tensed beneath her teeth, but he did not even flinch.
"You stubborn bastard!" she screamed.
She clawed at him next, her nails dragging across his soaked shirt and skin. Nothing. His Alpha aura pressed against her like an invisible mountain, crushing every attempt to shift. Her wolf growled furiously inside her, yet neither of them could move beneath the overwhelming pressure.
"Damn you..." she hissed, her breathing becoming uneven.
Within minutes, they were both completely drenched. Rainwater streamed down Yuki’s face and soaked through her thin nightdress until it clung to her skin. Her hair stuck to her cheeks while cold droplets slid down her neck. Between the rain, the struggle, and Kieran’s relentless pace, exhaustion slowly crept into her body.
The Beta residence soon came into view through the curtain of rain.
Lights burned from almost every window. A crowd had gathered behind the manor. Servants, guards, and pack members stood together despite the storm. Nobody seemed to care that they were getting soaked.
Crying reached Yuki before they even arrived. Kieran finally slowed, allowing her to look ahead.
Following everyone’s line of sight, she spotted a lone figure standing on the very edge of the rooftop.
Lightning ripped across the sky, illuminating Eloise’s trembling form for the briefest moment before darkness swallowed her again. She stood barefoot on the slippery tiles, her white nightdress plastered against her body by the rain. One hand clutched a dark glass bottle tightly against her chest.
Yuki’s stomach tightened. Her gut told her it was wolfsbane.
Before she could gather her thoughts, another cry rang out.
"Yuki!"
Yvonne broke free from the people surrounding her and stumbled towards them, tears streaming down her face.
"You!" she cried hysterically. "This is all your fault! Why do you have to keep hurting my daughter?"
She lunged at Yuki without warning. Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like a feral animal.
Yuki’s heart slammed against her chest and, instinctively, she shrank against Kieran’s chest.
Before Yvonne could reach her, Maddox caught his wife around the waist.
"Yvonne!" he shouted, struggling to restrain her. "Stop!"
"Let me go!" she sobbed, beating against his arms. "Look what she’s done to Eloise!"
Yuki stared at the couple in disbelief.
"What..." she whispered, her chest rising rapidly. "What the hell have I been dragged into?"
Kieran tightened his grip around her.
"We don’t have time."
Instead of heading for the front entrance, he crouched beside the wall. Sharp claws extended from his fingertips before he launched himself upward.
Stone cracked beneath his claws as he climbed the outside wall with frightening speed. Rain poured over them, making the surface slick, yet his grip never slipped.
Within seconds, they reached the rooftop. The wind struck even harder there.
Rain lashed across the roof, making every tile dangerously slippery. Kieran finally placed Yuki on her feet, but she nearly lost her balance. His arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her before she could fall.
"Careful," he muttered.
Yuki ignored him. Her attention had already shifted towards the others.
Killian and Kaden stood several metres away in their half-shifted forms. Their ears poked above their heads, sharp claws protruded from their hands, and their golden eyes never left Eloise as their long tails thrashed.
Neither of them dared move closer.
"Eloise," Killian called over the rain, his voice calm despite the situation. "Step away from the edge."
"You don’t have to do this," Kaden added gently. "Just come down, and we’ll talk."
Eloise shook her head violently.
"No!" she screamed.
Tears mixed with the rain, running down her face. She lifted the bottle higher.
"I’d rather die!" she declared.
"Eloise," Killian said again, his tone becoming firmer. "That’s wolfsbane. If you drink it, it could kill you. Please let go of the bottle," he coaxed gently.
"I don’t care!" she screamed.
Her fingers tightened around the bottle until her knuckles turned white.
"I don’t care anymore!"
The storm swallowed the silence that followed.
Then Eloise cried through broken sobs,
"I’m not coming down unless Yuki is here!"
Yuki’s eyes widened.
Only then did she finally understand why Kieran had dragged her out of bed.
Kieran stepped forward slightly.
"She’s here."
His voice carried clearly across the rooftop.
Everyone turned, finally registering their presence.
Eloise’s tear-filled eyes slowly settled on Yuki.
For a brief moment, she simply stared.
Then she laughed.
The sound sent chills through everyone standing there.
"Yuki..." she whispered, another tear rolling down her cheek. "Why are you doing this to me?"
She clutched the bottle against her chest.
"I love them so much." Her voice cracked. "Please... don’t take them away from me."
Yuki’s fingers curled into fists at her sides.
She had not stolen anything.
She had spent days trying to convince the triplets to reject her, yet somehow she had become the villain in Eloise’s story.
Before she could answer, Kieran leaned closer.
His voice dropped low enough that only she could hear.
"Please..."
There was no arrogance left in his tone or pride, only desperation.
"Get her down."
Yet her heart ached at his tone.
Her fists clenched.
She stepped towards Eloise, her voice even.
"Just get down, Eloise," she said.
"No," she screamed. "I will not. I can’t live without them."
She opened the bottle.
The strong stench of wolfsbane filled the air.
Yuki could feel the triplets’ raw, unfiltered emotions leaking through the bond.
Kaden stepped forward.
"Eloise..." he pleaded.
But her shrill voice cut through the storm.
"Stop there, or I will really jump!"
She threatened, and he froze where he was, his fists trembling.