My eyes shot open: slits of what used to be circles. My senses were heightened: ignited like fire. I could feel she was gone. I had claimed her, and now I could no longer feel her.

My body shot out of bed, and I raced toward the door. She was gone.

My thoughts raced over to Khrelan and whether I should suspect him of taking her. He told me he would be in charge of taking the women to the tower. Was Marina to be included in the pack even though I had already claimed her?

I searched my senses, the bodily connection I had made with her, and I could already start to feel her. My eyes darted toward the immense rock staircase that led out of the caves, and I bellowed a screech that echoed throughout the whole cave.

If you're running from me, Marina, you'd better run fast.

I pulled my wings in close to my body and sped at immense speeds, flying up beside the exit and making sharp maneuvers to follow the case as it curved along the rock.

There were various inlets: open windows that led into the staircase. I shifted my body thin and stormed in through the opening, cracking the rocks and shattering the areas of the opening that my broad shoulders couldn't fit through.

I heard a scream from down the stairs, footsteps beating against the rocky below and then suddenly stopping. I fled down the stairs, using my wings as a propeller and grabbed my love by her freckled neck. I pressed her against the wall in a familiar stance and seethed, "Drop it."

She shook beneath my grasp and a tortured sob escaped her throat as the key hit the ground. I kicked it aside and slowly released my grip.

"Where are you going?" I asked desperately.

"You're a murderer!” she screamed, kicking against me and racking her body with sobs. "You did this; you did this!” she bawled out, slamming her fists into my chest.

Then I let her go.

An empty cold rushed down my body like water.

"I love you," I said. My tone wavered between shock and confusion.

She said it to me earlier... came from my touch. And she knew? She had said it so convincingly that by the time she left, I had believed that everything could be alright. That I could continue with her without the mar of betrayal hanging between us.

I watched as she sank to her knees, sliding her back down the wall and crumbling into a puddle on the ground. Tears slipped down her freckled cheeks as she struggled to contain the pain that escaped her mouth.

My instinct was to go to her... but I couldn't. I couldn't move.

"They took the girls," she said with a large inhale. "They're not letting us go, and it's all your fault."

I blinked. She was right.

"My father..." I trailed off, my body twitching every time she moved. I readied myself to chase her if she tried.

Marina pulled her legs up to her chest and set her arms around them, crying deeply into them. Her face was full of fear and a host of other emotions I couldn't decipher. I watched her for some time until she finally seemed to settle in between stifled breaths. Her eyes met mine, and she looked alarmed, like she'd seen a monster.

Then I realized it was me who she was looking at. I was the monster.

I took an instinctive step back and felt a rush of pain course through my legs.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. Tears spilled down her face almost involuntarily, her eyes flicking back and forth from mine.

“If it was my choice,” I said slowly, never even bothering to ask how she found out, “it never would have happened that way. Believe me.”

“Why should I believe you?” she spat.

The question was simple enough, but I didn’t have a good reason. Because it was the truth that was my only rebuttal, but she just stared at me with hatred in her eyes.

“Marina,” I breathed out, kneeling down in front of her and reaching for her face.

“I loved you,” she said through her quivering lip. “Why would you do this to us?”

“It was not my idea,” I argued quietly. “Believe me.”

“I don’t believe you,” she snapped.

“I didn’t intend for any to lose their lives,” I pleaded. “Please, Marina. You have to understand. We are starving. We need to seek refuge on Earth.” My eyes searched hers desperately, and I cupped her cheek in my hand. “Please.”

She bit her lip and looked into my eyes: beautiful hazel staring into me.

“Do you love me still?” I asked. “Can you forgive me?”

Her eyes fell to the floor, and she leaned into my grasp. “I need to rescue my friends.”

“Do you love me?”

She shrugged, broken. “What would it matter? It seems I am your prisoner whether I like it or not.”

I blinked and leaned in, taking her lips into mine with a simple, quick kiss. She returned the gesture, and I stood from her company. I walked up to the key that I’d kicked away from her and lifted her from the ground.

“I can’t betray my people,” I said, handing it to her.

“You betrayed mine,” she said quietly.

“We are dying,” I stated firmly.

She swallowed and set her tongue between her teeth. I could see she understood, somewhere deep down, but our love was lost now.

“I can’t betray my people,” I repeated softly. “But I won’t stop you, either.”