I'll Find You- Prologue (P5)

    Dragan glared at James, “You selfish bastard, let her go!” He no longer cared about revenge, now he realized his only goal was to keep his mate safe.

“Hmm,” James said in mock though, “I really don’t think you’re in a position to give me orders, what do you say?” He turned to Elizabeth.

“James, what are you talking about?”

“This is all just a game, Lizzy, don’t you see?” James laughed crazily, “He’s just playing in his own sick game to try to take you from me!”

“James,” She spoke fearlessly and walked straight up to him, “I would never leave you, don’t you see? I love you.”

Dragan cringed as he could physically feel his heart breaking; the pain was all too real.

“Oh Elizabeth,” he said tenderly stroking his hand down her cheek. Dragan had hope that she could get herself out of this mess but James drew back his hand and slapped her down.

“I’ve seen you betray me too many times, we’ll have to try again, won’t we?”

“How dare you touch her!” Dragan bellowed, struggling against his bonds that only grew tighter.

“Oh, I dare,” he said maliciously as he turned and grabbed her by her neck and drug her in front of Dragan.

“Look at this monster!” James demanded. With her eyes filled with tears, Elizabeth looked up at Dragan reluctantly. She wept and tried to turn away but James forced her to stare at him. Her eyes changed from brown to blue like Dragan’s then back to brown. She shook and struggled to be free but James snatched her hands and tied them in rope, before throwing Elizabeth aside.

“Do you remember now?” He asked Elizabeth. Dragan grew hopeful and waited in anticipation for her response. She turned to Dragan, before bowing her bleeding head,

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

Enraged, James yelled, “You’re lying!”

Dragan lifted his head and looked to her, she remembered him. “James, I’m begging, lift the curse, please, I’ll do anything. Please, I’ve suffered enough!”

James sighed, “Lift the curse? Why would I do something so stupid? So what, you’ll run off into the sunset? What about me?!”

“James,” Elizabeth spoke up, “I will stay with you, just let him go, he’s nothing to me.”

James expression softened, he walked over to Elizabeth who he crouched next to her and placed a hand on her head, he kissed her cheek, “I always loved you first, but I can’t lock you up so selfishly…I’ve needed to look for my real mate anyway…” He closed his eyes and Dragan watched as a mist passed over her body. Then he pulled his hands away and sighed, “But God forbid I simply hand your mate over to you.”

    Dragan was caught off guard by his wooden stake now in James’s hands and yelled in a panic as he plunged it into her stomach. Elizabeth screamed in pain.

“Oh the sick irony, my curse was the only thing bringing her back, well good luck!” He laughed. Dragan found the strength to break from his bonds but James had disappeared. He turned in circles until seeing his mate lying in agony of the floor. Suddenly he remembered first seeing her…

--

    Elizabeth felt herself dying, she was terrified. One thought continued to run through her mind, I wanna wake up.

She looked up and saw herself staring at the monster, no he was a man now. She knew him, she only wished she could’ve remembered those dazzling eyes sooner.

“Dragan,” she trembled.

“Tala,” He cried, taking her hand, “My sweet Tala.”

She could place his voice with a rustic accent, so natural, so soothing. There were so many things she wanted to say, things she wanted him to tell her mother and her family, to tell him. She wanted to ask questions and she wanted answers, but most of all she wanted to live.

“I’ve—I’ve done this before?” She realized out loud looking into his tear filled eyes. In agony she began to shake again as her organs corroded from the inside out.

“Tala! Shh, shh, just listen to my voice!” He begged. She listened the best that she could, but she was beginning to feel herself growing tired.

--

    “I don’t care what James has done,” Dragan confessed holding her hand to his lips and he spoke, “I’ll find you again, Tala. I won’t give up.”
She still seemed to be suffering and though he wanted her to be with him the longest she could, he couldn't watch her suffer any longer. He felt his heart shatter as he grasped the sides of her head in his hands. She looked up at him, so young, innocent and naïve.

“Thank you,” she choked out, fearless.

He let his angry tears and he cracked her neck quickly, repeating over and over as he picked her up and rocked her limp body in his arms, “I’ll find you Tala, I’ll find you…”