(Amaia)

(Disturbing content ahead. Reader discretion is advised.)

"Wait for me, Bella. We will leave soon, once I finish things off here and get your brothers," Esmeralda says to her satisfied, smirking daughter.

I watch them through blurry vision. My whole face is wet from the leaking tears.

Bellatrix leaves.

The unimaginable pain burns my stomach, even when they have stopped hurting and raping him.

My throat is so constricted that I can’t even breathe properly even though she has loosened Alnilam’s precious lock from my throat.

My gaze is glued to my broken mate.

This is what she has been doing to him and I tried to be jealous.

She must have done it, the goddess knows how many times.

Saiph is in a dazed state. He won’t even look at me. I want to reach him, tell him it’s not his fault, none of it is but I can’t find my voice.

"Last chance. Tell me where you are hiding your brother and I might give you an easy death. You won’t have to see your mates suffer."

My mind reels at each one of them and I would rather die than let any of them suffer anymore.

The witch leans closer. Her real, hideously ugly face which I can now observe close by reveals she is an old wrinkly woman. Whatever spells or potions she uses to keep herself going are not working at the moment or maybe she can no longer keep herself hidden from my eyes. A clarity has descended on me.

With all the force I can muster, I collect all the saliva in my mouth and spit on her.

"Burn in hell, you old hag."

The smug smile wipes off her face. The backhand slap that lands on my face, sends me face-first in the opposite direction, coughing blood.

Concoction of saliva and blood I spit on the floor.

She grabs my hair, jerking my head up so I can stare into her vacant, soulless eyes.

"Every moment you were in front of me, I wished for nothing but to hurt you. The tattoo I engraved on your shoulder at the sorting ceremony, I ensured to give you extra pain. And yet, as shameless as you are, you didn’t leave with all that humiliation."

She painfully jerks my hair. But the physical pain is doing nothing to me. It’s the emotional turmoil that has left me in tatters.

"Sadly for you. You are going to die in this room. There are no plans for you in the future I have planned with my children and mate."

She jerks my head back, letting go of my hair and standing tall again.

"Saiph!" She clicks her fingers, summoning him, one doesn’t even treat their pet dogs like this.

A tear forms in the bond, like an omen. My body jerks as my eyes find him. He is in his uniform again. The mask plastered on his face, emotions evaporated, like a puppet being controlled.

"He has been such a good birdie. He told me everything about you. Every tiny detail. Even when you had sex with my sons. No privacy at all." She clicks her tongue.

"Aren’t you mad at him?"

Saiph comes to stand in front of me, like a soldier ready for his command. Body erect, emotions concealed.

"Did she hurt you when you fell on my feet?" I quietly ask, my voice overladen with emotions.

He simply stares, trapped. My Yeti is so helpless today. Now I know why they made me fight one. The psychological torture they have put all of us through.

"Of course, I did. How would you have taken him as your pet? Bella had her fun with him and when she was tired, I told him to fly off to you."

My free hand reaches for him, grabbing his leg in desperation. My fingers brush against his leather pants.

"Saiph, snap out of it. Please. I need you," I cry out.

"Enough drama. Let’s make it poetic," she giggles.

Her footsteps echo in this silent, torturous room. Slowly she moves towards the door and stands near it, facing us. She has taken off that gem from her bodice and extracted what seems like another small doll from it.

"Unlike others, I kept two for this one. Since he is the firstborn and more special." She winks at me and I understand why the curse from Saiph wasn’t lifted when I burnt his doll.

"Now be a good birdie and kill her. Use the very weapon you took an oath to protect her with. Give me a show. I need her blood to remain young and beautiful." She wipes her tongue on her wrinkled lips.

Horror rolls over me. Not from her command meant to kill me but I know the consequences.

"Noooooo! Stoppp....Saiph, don’t."

Frantically, I scream as loud as I can. Someone, please hear me. Someone come to stop this madness.

I yell for my mates but no one comes. No one can get past her illusions and layers of rot she creates. No one is here.

I pull, I jerk my body, I call on my magic.

Something. Anything.

Saiph slowly removes his scythe with the glistening blade. Long and sharp. The one I have seen him use for countless kills. The one he took the oath on.

He raises it, standing over me like a grim reaper ready to rip my soul out of my body. It’s not me I am afraid for.

He is my mate, my love, my yeti. He is not going to hurt me. No matter the command, it will be fulfilled but in another way and that has my soul almost leaving my body.

Then I see a small part of Rigel’s surviving shadow. Clinging to where Saiph’s heart is. It’s just the size of a wheat grain now but it’s trying to keep Saiph calm.

"Do it," she tells, plunging something deep into the doll she is holding.

Saiph’s body spasms. Anguish wells up in his gaze. A lone tear falls from his grieved eyes as he swings the blade, one final time.

"Forgive me, Amaia. I wronged you so much. But I loved you...Zille loved you too...he had no choice..."

I shriek like a banshee when a fountain of blood drenches me and his severed head disconnects from his shoulders and rolls into my lap.