Lorkana by Emily Zimmerman. (free e books to read TXT) 📕

was extremely inconvenient. A human and a Beast, was it even possible? “I am a beast, William; to humans I am a monster, an abomination.” I said.
“Not to me.” Was all he said.
I slid down the wall, a tear slipping down my cheek. “What do you expect me to say to something like that? I love another. I’m MATED to another.” I said, trying to make him see that.
He nodded, still seated calmly against the opposite wall. “I don’t expect anything. I’m still trying to convince myself that my feelings for you are only infatuation…so far I’m having no luck.” He sighed.
I nodded once. “So you understand that I can’t…that I am unable-“
“To reciprocate my feelings for you? Yes, I understand.”
I rubbed my arms, realizing how cold it had gotten. William noticed that I was cold, and got up with the blanket, walking over; he draped it over me and sat beside me. “I think we were wrong about your kind. You are not ruthless killers. You are proof of that.” He murmured.
I cracked a humorless smile. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve had the opportunity many times to turn beast and kill me, but you’ve been as docile as a lamb.” William said.
I shrugged. “I haven’t the incentive. You haven’t exactly been the monster my brothers and sisters make you out to be.”
“You don’t see us as your kind do?”
I shook my head slowly. “You could say when I was an infant I was…adopted, by my human father. He invaded the kingdom after I was born, found me in the nursery and took me. He raised me as his own…unfortunately my adopted family is deceased now.” I murmured.
“You mean you were raised by humans?”
I nodded. “My biological father never gave up searching for me. Logan ended up finding me eighteen years later.” I said softly.
“How did he know it was you?”
“If you haven’t noticed, my eyes are not the most common color. Bright green with golden specs. The gold is from my mother, the green from my father. My hair is also from my father, my mother has blonde hair. Anyway, one look in my eyes and you know, it’s the way my father said he’d find me.” I said.
William stared ahead at the wall, and opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of multiple sets of footsteps cut him off. They were too close now for us to be able to do anything, William stood and sighed, he knew he was caught.
“Johanna, I’m sorry.” He whispered.
I didn’t answer; I was trying to find a way for us to escape. There was no way.
Instead of unlocking the door with a key, someone slammed against the door and it popped open. Vivia, Demetrio and…Logan?
I jumped up. “Logan!” I cried.
He caught me in his arms as I stumbled forward. “Logan I thought you were gone!”
“Why would I be gone?” he asked.
“Labara told me they killed you. Oh God I’m so glad you’re okay.” I whispered.
He tightened his arms around me. “Why is Prince William here?” he asked, his voice careful.
“William’s been helping me, he comes here every night to free me from my binds and keep me warm. They cut my dress so I would freeze.” I explained.
William nodded and leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. Logan nodded back. “Thank you, Prince William.” Logan said.
Before I knew what was happening I was pulled from Logan and into Vivia’s arms. “I’m so sorry Johanna. We should have been protecting you.” She said.
I hugged her tightly back and then Demetrio enveloped me into his strong bear hug. “We missed you in the fun room.” He said. I laughed, feeling happy now that I knew Logan was okay.
“Okay. We need to get out of here. We came from the rat ways, but the guards will be making their rounds soon enough.” Vivia said.
Logan nodded and grabbed my hand. “Wait! Let me speak with William for a second.” I said.
Logan glanced at William and then met eyes with me, he nodded once, leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to my lips and then left the room with the others to make sure no guards were coming. I turned to William when they left. “Will you be alright? They won’t find out, will they?”
“No. They won’t find out I helped you. If anything happens, I swear I’ll tell you. I don’t know how I’ll find you, but I promise you, I’ll inform you of anything my father decides.” He said.
I smiled and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you, for everything.” I whispered in his ear.
I kissed his cheek when he let me go. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry about Logan, I assume he escaped and my father decided to tell you that they killed him to get information out of you.” He said.
I nodded. “Now go! The guards will be making their rounds soon.” William urged.
I met Logan in the hall and I saw his gaze drop to my legs. I blushed and grabbed his hand, “let’s go.” I said.
Vivia and Demetrio were in front, sneaking through the halls. As we reached the stairs, I gasped. “Liberty! She’s here, we have to find her!” I said.
“It’s alright. Liberty sneaked out soon after she saw you in the cell. She informed us of where they were keeping you.” Vivia said.
I sighed in relief and we descended the stairs to the rat way. “I have to admit, this is going much better than last time. Last time the guards anticipated we’d come in from the rat way, so they prepared. This time I don’t think they thought we would do it again.” Demetrio said.
I nodded; they expected an attack from the front.
“I wish I could have gotten to you when I escaped, but the kings’ guards were all over where they were keeping you, because they were expecting me to make that move, I couldn’t risk both our lives that way.” Logan murmured.
“I understand.” I whispered.
Logan pulled me into his side and kissed my head softly. I was so happy to have him alive; I’d thought he was dead. My mind flashed to the kiss with William, I’d felt desire, but the desire was overwhelmed by guilt. Maybe part of my heart knew that Logan was still alive.
I sighed and leaned my head on Logan’s shoulder, I couldn’t tell you how alive my heart felt when I saw Logan walk through that door, it was like lighting a torch in a dark cave of despair and hopelessness. I felt so relieved and happy it almost hurt; my heart was bursting with joy.
We stopped as we heard what sounded like footsteps, with my hearing, it sounded like the small pitter patter of some kind of small animal, but it sounded like hundreds at a time. As we walked the sound grew louder, and all of the sudden a montage of probably twenty rats came running at us, I clapped my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream and jumped into Logan’s arms, burying my face in his neck. I may have lived in a ranch most of my life, but I HATED rats.
Logan laughed and kept his grip on me, easily carrying me as if I weighed nothing at all. Vivia was kicking rats aside and pushing through, Logan was grinning as he kicked them aside, and I winced as they squeaked in alarm. Soon they were all behind us, but I kept my grip on Logan.
“They don’t call it a rat way for nothing.” Demetrio chuckled.
I nodded, still keeping my face in Logan’s neck. “You okay, Johanna?” Logan said.
“No! I absolutely hate rats!” I said.
Demetrio barked a laugh and Logan let me down on my feet, keeping a tight grip on my waist. “I’ve never seen you jump that high before, I swear your head almost hit the ceiling.” Logan grinned.
“Be quiet! I have a rat phobia! It’s not my fault!” I said, crossing my arms.
Logan placed a kiss on the top of my head and pulled me into his side. “I think we’re in the clear. Last time they were waiting for us at the stairs.” Demetrio said.
We didn’t answer; we weren’t going to get our hopes up. We walked carefully through the dark place, the ceiling was rounded, and it echoed our every step. There was no light, so we used the night vision our inner animals provided, it was as if it was lit perfectly.
I jumped as a rat scurried across our path and into a hole it had created in the stone wall and Logan tightened his arm around my waist. “Vivia, how is my family?” I asked hesitantly.
Vivia glanced back at me and smiled softly, understanding. “They’re fine. We’ve been taking care of them; we have an emergency settlement not far from here, near the shore.” Vivia said.
I nodded and blew out a sigh of relief.
As we were walking, I could have sworn I’d heard a footfall behind us. I stopped everyone and waited, tilting my head to listen. “Must’ve been my imagination, or just another echo.” I said.
They nodded, but I could tell Logan was listening every few feet, making sure he didn’t hear anyone behind us. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he reached down and pulled my face up to look at him, he smiled softly and leaned down, pressing his lips to mine in a warm kiss. I’d missed this, missed his warmth, his comfort, the way his lips moved perfectly against mine, the way his hands were so gentle and his eyes so loving. I’d missed HIM, and the thought of missing him forever, missing how comforting and warm his arms were around me, missing his lips on mine, and his wolf form, which I’d fallen for from the beginning, it made me sick to think about it.
It’d really made me appreciate every second I had with him, it made me wonder about our future, but it also made me focus on the present.
We paused as both of us heard a footfall this time, and it didn’t sound like an echo. “We’re being followed.” Logan whispered, not loud enough for our pursuer to hear, but loud enough for us to hear.
Demetrio paused and cocked his head to the side, and this time we all heard the distinct sound of a footfall.
Demetrio motioned us forward and mouthed to act normal. “Vivia, what happened to Aileen? Is she alright?”
“Of course. Aileen is fine, one of the men attacking tried to injure her with a bow and arrow, but he isn’t as good as you are. He missed her by a few feet, actually hitting one of his companions.” Vivia chuckled, but her eyes were serious.
I nodded and glanced back, Demetrio had silently crept back, going to search. If these were humans, they had no way of seeing in the dark without some kind of light, they wouldn’t know who was who in this pitch black darkness.
“Johanna, what did Labara ask you?” Logan asked.
“He asked me where my people were moved. Every day was the same thing, “we can end your suffering if you just tell us where your people were moved.” And, “why haven’t my people rescued me yet.”” I muttered.
“And you never told him?”
“I never knew. Remember, I hadn’t even known the kingdom existed until you found me.” I said.
Logan nodded. “Right.”
Demetrio’s face was amused when he crept back over. “It’s Labara’s right hand man and a few guards. They plan to follow us back to the emergency hide-out and infiltrate. They have no