Chapter 159


    75. The Pain Inside


    ROYCE.


    The only way to end this… is his death.


    The moment is before me as heys there


    bleeding out, and it hurts.


    Despite everything he has done and I know he deserves what ising, but… he is still my


    brother.


    I look at her as I pass her the sword, hiding the pain in my chest.


    For her, I need to stay strong.


    You’ve hidden your emotions for years, Royce. What are a few more moments?


    I look into her eyes, which are now green, but they remain cat-like.


    “Let’s do this.” I say.


    I look at Aleric as heys there on the floor, trying to get up when he sees us approaching, but he is


    beyond the point of recovering, and it’s clear Apophis is focusing on the barrier…


    The darkness that is pushing against the barrier is spreading from Aleric.


    “Break his tie from this world and it will


    weaken him.” Sk murmurs.


    “For the Gods,” I say quietly as I ce my hand


    over hers.


    We raise the sword as one and I look down at


    him. Our eyes meet and I remember the little


    boy who once yed by my side. 5


    The one I sparred against, the friendlypetition, the pranks we’d pull… the way he always tried to


    protect me.


    “Apophis!” He hisses. The darkness seems to spread, returning around him with vengeance and he


    beginsughing brokenly.


    Too weak to do anything, but his confidence in the snake god remains.


    “Kill me then, if you can,” Aleric says, his eyes locked with mine.


    you took everything I


    wanted… you even


    nothing more than


    my mate… you are


    selfish… you always have


    been…”


    “Royce.” Sk’s voice brings me from my thoughts and I realise I’ve frozen. “We need to hurry.”


    The urgency in her voice makes me nce around and see that the entire area is now


    cked out.


    I let out a shaky exhale. I could talk big, say I will kill, but when the time is before me… it’s fucking hard.


    “Goodbye, brother,” I say quietly, as I close my eyes and we raise the sword. My hand is over hers, and


    her power surges through the de as we plunge it into his chest.


    Tears sting my eyes as Apophis’s chilling voice that makes me ill every time I hear it rings in the air.


    ‘NO!’


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I open my eyes and stare into Aleric’s wide eyes.


    Apophis’s screams of rage as the sky begins to lighten around us are shrill and ear-splitting, but I’m


    unable to bask in the sight of victory…


    Aleric is staring back at me as his life fades


    before my eyes. 13


    He didn’t think I’d do it. 4


    When his life finally fades away, I let go of my grip on her hand and the sword as I fall to my knees,


    unable to hold back the tears. 3


    She ces the sword down, cupping my face, and I look into her gorgeous green eyes.


    “I’m so sorry.” She whispers.


    I shake my head. This is not on her.


    She moves closer, hugging me tightly from behind as I press my fists to my forehead, refusing to allow


    any sound to escape me.


    There truly is no victory in war…


    SKYLA.


    It breaks my heart to see him so broken; he was acting strong when his heart was breaking.


    I can’t imagine having to take the life of my sibling, even if someone is bad… they are still our loved


    ones. 1


    I know he’ll feel that guilt every time he faces


    his mother…


    We had no option, but that is something he will carry with him for life. 2


    We remain there, even when the sun shows its face once more, even when everyone gathers. I hold


    my king close, wanting to take away his


    pain.


    His tears have stopped, but his head remains


    bowed.


    Mama approaches, but I shake my head. Even if he’s injured, now isn’t the time..


    “We are sorry, your majesty…” one of the witches says…


    “This has been… intense…” a man says quietly. “We should have seen the signs…”


    I drown them out, kissing Royce’s neck from behind as I keep my hold on him tight until I sense


    Catherine approaching. That is when I let go of him. No matter how hard it is, they need one another


    right now.


    “Goddess…Why?” Catherine sobs as she falls to


    her knees beside Royce, and I force myself back. “You did what you had to.” She says through her


    sobs as she cups Royce’s face, pulling him


    into her embrace. 3


    I stand up and turn my back on them, to give. them space to mourn their loss, unable to stop my own


    tears from flowing down my face.


    Goddesses… why must they suffer… at least make their healing easier…


    Mama’s arms wrap around me, and I hug her tightly, trying to control my own tears, but it hurts.


    For the first time in my life… I killed someone…


    It changes you… something inside of you…


    I now understand what it means when they say, every life you take stays with you…


    “So Alpha Royce, the Sris King, was indeed innocent.” 4


    I scoff and pull away from Mama as I stare at the man who has spoken. I’m still in my armour, and I


    know they are all looking at me.


    Are they that stupid?


    “We were telling you that,” I say through my


    tears.


    The man looks guilty as he lowers his head and mumbles, “I know… I just… Well, he is not your


    mate, so it was hard-”


    “He is my light, he is my king, he is the one I


    want and above all, he is the one I love. We fell


    victim to the games of Apophis and now… I Sk Sra Rossi, take back my rejection and-” I gasp


    when I feel a strong pair of arms wrap around me from behind. 1


    His warmth and the way my heart thumps tells me who it is before I look into his eyes.


    He’s still in pain, but there is a small smile on his face despite the sadness in his eyes.


    “Finally.” He whispers.


    I let out a weakugh. “I promise I won’t keep doing this.”


    “I should hope not.” He says before I turn in his arms, and he ims my lips in a sizzling


    explosive kiss that sends tingles of pleasure through me.


    I wrap my own arms around his neck as he pulls me flush against him, kissing me hard and deep.


    I kiss him back, wanting to take his pain,


    wanting tofort him and wanting to show him that it is going to be ok.


    I will always be there for him, and although I know this will take time to ovee, we will do this


    together.


    Everything but him fades away, and the pleasure that consumes me drowns me in


    eternal bliss. He’s kissing me like it’s the first andst time and I no longer know where I end, and he


    begins…


    Because we are one.


    I truly won once I epted who I am.I am not perfect, not everyone likes me, and I know I have faults,


    but when I ept who I am myself, only then is it possible for me to be truly happy.


    We break apart and he caresses my cheek, both of us breathing heavily.


    “Wow…” He says, looking me over again,


    “I don’t know, should I try to get rid of it? I mean I’m probably naked underneath.” I say with a smirk.


    He shakes his head, “No… I like it… besides, I’d prefer you naked only for me.”


    I hear a grumpy growl and can’t help but chuckle.


    “I love you, Lil Lucifer, so damn much.”


    “I love you too.” I whisper, the sheer relief that it’s all over suddenly hits me hard.


    It’s over… we did it.


    We fucking did it.


    And then, we’re kissing again…