《Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate》


 Chapter One: What Lies Underneath the Truth??

    Raymond never left the door open. I was sure of that. As I got to the door, I saw it ajar. My already shaking hands shoved the door gradually as I stepped in. The coolness of the house graced my neck as I met no one in the living room. My mind travelled far and wild as to what could have happened to Raymond. I tried keeping the thought of him being attacked away from my mind, for a while it worked, but as I walked on, it urred to me that it mighte to be my reality. Frightened from making a sound, I took off my boots and walked slowly on tiptoes.?


    The living room was empty, and so was the kitchen and the rest of the rooms I reached out to. Although there were still many floors to check.?


    As I got closer to the bedroom Raymond and I shared, I stopped on hearing voices. Although they weren¡¯t clear words even as I strained my ear to listen, I still could not understand any word that was said. They sounded more like mumbles and so I reduced my pace walking without applying weight on my heels so I would not be heard. Sticky sweat sprouted from the pores on my palms. Even with the cracks in my bones and my heavy breathing, these mumbles did not stop but only increased in volume as I got closer. Its rhythmic resounding cadence only made me inquisitive as I hurried towards the bedroom entrance resting my back against the wall, my wandering mind raced as I pondered.?


    ¡°What could be behind the door?¡±


    Whatever answery behind the door, I knew very much that it wouldn¡¯t be good for me. I headed to the door pushing it open.?


    ¡°Oh my God! Raymond?!¡±


    He jerked moving away from the bed with sweat dripping down his back. It would have been justifiable if it was some strange girl but, Racheal??


    My jaws fell in doubt and as if a spark of energy surged through me leaving me astounded. I watched their heated naked body as they scampered to get dressed.?


    ¡°Take your hands off me!¡± I cried out as Raymond rushed towards me.?


    ¡°I can¡¯t be around you guys right now, this is so unbelievable.¡±?


    Tears spurted down my cheeks like a runnel of waterfall leaving a glimmering path in their wake.?


    Breathless with anger, I walked out of the room heading toward the living room, my face contorted with rage as I paced around. I couldn¡¯t find the peace to settle on the couch as my hands trembled.?


    My eyes had be a stormy sea by the time I saw Raymond again walking up to me with waves of admixtures of emotions crashing against the walls of myposure. Even as I tried to stifle my sobs, they escaped like graceful falcons fluttering into the air.?


    ¡°Babe, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen, believe me.¡±


    ¡°Then what did I just see there?¡±


    ¡°She just came on me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault,¡± Rachael walked down the stairs as she approached us.?


    ¡°What do you mean? I saw you guys, he was literally riding you. You are my best friend, Racheal, at least I thought you were. Why could you do a thing like this to me? I trusted you.¡±


    ¡°I took the coke again. I just wanted to check up on him as it has been a while. I didn¡¯t know how it all happened and how I ended up on his bed. Please ra, I am deeply sorry I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±


    She brushed tears from her eyes.?


    ¡°You were drugged and then you seduced him. You guys are so unbelievable thinking I would believe such cheap lies.¡±


    ¡°ra, please wait.¡±?


    Raymond called out as I fled the room. I walked down but it seemed like my legs had failed me. I rushed towards the car shutting it close but before Raymond could catch up, I turned on the ignition of the car zooming away.?


    ¡°How could they do that to me?¡± I thought as the night came fast, I did not like it as Raymond and Racheal had slipped away my peace, their presence suddenly detested me.?


    As my phone beeped, I unconsciously rushed towards it. Maybe I needed to see his call to get to hear some exnation, maybe something I could actually believe, but it wasn¡¯t him nor was it her.


    I returned to bed as my thoughts went array again, maybe they could be right, she had taken the coke again and had seduced him. The ring from the doorbell dragged me out of my streams of thought as I walked to the door.?


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± I barked as I found Racheal looking back at me.?


    ¡°Would you at least let mee in?¡±


    All day, I had let my sadness weigh on my bed. I certainly didn¡¯t want to see the face of the same person who had hurt me but I knew that I needed an exnation to ease myself of the emotional stress.?


    I pulled the door backwards letting her in as I awaited the words.?


    ¡°What do you want, Racheal?¡±


    ¡°I am here to¡­¡±?


    ¡°To say that you are sorry? And to tell me how you got buzzed by some coke and seduced Raymond?¡±


    ¡°No, ra, that is not why I havee.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± I nearly shouted.?


    ¡°I and Raymond are a thing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her words struck me in ces I could not fathom.?


    ¡°ra, don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t hear my words.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Wait what? Youe to my house and tell me to my face that you have been fucking Raymond?¡±


    ¡°Not just fucking him, we are taking it seriously but that can¡¯t happen with you in the picture. Raymond loves me and not you.¡±


    ¡°You are crazy for saying those words to me. You know so well that Raymond loves me so much and we are to be mated.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Oh darling, you really love this guy, don¡¯t you? But it¡¯s so sad that he doesn¡¯t feel the same way as he keeps running back to my bed every time that you go for your little business trip. ra, when would you put down your pride and ept the fact that Raymond doesn¡¯t love you any more that¡¯s if he ever did in the first ce. He was only with you because he only wanted to use you.¡±


    I lost my cool as my palmnded on her cheeks taking the words off her lips. I had never fought with Racheal before nor had I hit anyone. It happened so fast that I had to and for some reason, it felt so good.?


    ¡°I see you have suddenly gone rogue Racheal, I always thought you were my friend,? you cheap liar. You think you¡¯de here and tell me about some lie and I would believe any shit you say to me after what you have done? Now, get out! Get out of my house before I call the cops on you!¡±?


    The door shook vigorously as I banged it shut behind her.?


    ¡°It isn¡¯t true, Racheal always lies, she always lies.¡±?


    I muttered under my breath constantly reminding myself of the possibility that she was only bluffing.?

 Chapter Two: For all the love?

    Rachael¡¯s visit was a constant reminder that I had been struck with a harsh reality. The room had been quiet for as long as I could remember but the voices in my head did not let my lids fall close to sleep. What was it I perceived, betrayal? Or some sense of jealousy from her. As much as I yearned to squeeze her in my grip for saying all those hurtful things to me, a part of me just couldn¡¯t. It was surely the after effect of a stressed-out and troubled soul. I tossed and turned and suddenly, the bed felt too soft as I drowned in its cosiness.?


    I crawled out of it to find sce on the sofa chair in the room. I faced the window and watched at the curtain dancing to the rhythm of the wind. Just then, it struck me that I needed to return home- the home Raymond and I shared, a gift from my parents, the former rulers, to us. What was I doing all alone in the cold night? When I should be in the arms of the man that I love. I shouldn¡¯t let her win. Somehow I knew that Racheal had always been jealous of me, I should have heeded to the warnings of my instincts. But love, sometimes love bes the enemy in a triangle of people, love lets me ignore the signs. As the wind caressed my skin, gradually,? I felt the heaviness of my eye lids as they fell close putting me to sleep.?


    I headed home the next morning, determined not to listen to any plea from him. Just outside the porch, I sighted some familiar luggage as I moved closer. It became clear to me that they were mine. Every damn thing I owned sat in the cold right outside, even the fancy new flip-flop Raymond had chosen for me on ourst trip together.?


    ¡°Raymond!¡± I called out as I got to the door but there was no response. With a rounded fist the door shook the hinges as I pounded hard.?Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What madness ra?! Do you not know that you disturb the peace of the neighbourhood?¡±


    Raymond rushed out towards me.?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that was the only way to get you out, you weren¡¯t taking my calls. I am curious Raymond, what are my things doing outside of our home?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I put them outside.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t needed here anymore.¡±


    I chuckled as I grabbed the retractor handle of the first luggage, ¡°Stop with the jokes Raymond, you aren¡¯t good at it. Come help me with the other bags, let¡¯s take it in.¡±


    I tried moving in but he moved to the door blocking my way.?


    ¡°What is it Raymond?¡±


    My hands began to tremble again as my fears grew.?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ra, but I can¡¯t allow you in.¡±


    ¡°Is this some sort of prank? Where are the camera¡¯s,¡± I looked around.?


    ¡°This is no prank but your reality, my dear friend,¡± Racheal walked out dressed in my bathrobe.?


    ¡°I see you moved in already.¡±


    ¡°I did what I should have done a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Raymond, please let me take my things inside our home. The home that we share together. Send this ungrateful bitch out of our house. I know our rtionship is a bit shaky because of what has been going on. But let¡¯s make it work. We can talk about everything, sleep over this and we will be fine tomorrow and back to how we used to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh please spare me that, ra. Like I told you before, it was all our n, Raymond never loved you and not even those tears can change that.¡±


    I reached for his hand, ignoring her silly words ¡°Look at me, Raymond,¡± I searched for his gaze, even a glimpse as my vision became blurry as tears clouded my eyes.?


    ¡°Tell me she is lying.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t,¡± He took my hands off his, moving towards her as she wrapped her hands around him dropping kisses on his lips.?


    ¡°Are you just going to let all that we shared go down the drain because of Racheal? Fight for us Raymond, fight for us.¡±


    ¡°Do you not get it ra?!¡± He barked, ¡°I thought you were smart but clearly I was wrong. Can¡¯t you see that I never loved you? I was only with you because I wanted to get into your parents¡¯ heads. I wanted them to love me and I knew that the only way for that to happen was to act that I cherished their only daughter so I would be chosen as the alpha head and it worked. I am now the alpha head and I don¡¯t have to pretend to love you anymore.¡±


    His words hit me like a rock as the intensity of the searing pain grew, throwing me in a whirlwind of turbulent heartbreak.?


    ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t see all of thising? I should have known better, now I see it now, thete nights, the sudden change of attitude towards me. There have always been signs but I had refused to see them because I let love blind me. I hate you so much Raymond and I hope that you both perish for what you have made me go through.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, spare me the sermon.¡±


    ¡°I have been putting up with you the entire time and I can¡¯t just do it again. I¡¯m done. Whatever we had is over. You need to leave now ra.¡±


    ¡°Leave? I am not leaving. We might not be together anymore but this is still my home. My parents gave me this house as a gift. So if anyone is to leave, it¡¯s the two squatters right in front of me.¡±


    They got into an outburst ofughter and I only watched as more drama unfolded.?


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I asked.?


    ¡°You know I never really loved you. Even when I tried you made it so hard, the spoiled pack alpha¡¯s daughter always got what she wanted. But with Racheal it felt real, I fell in love with her the first day I set my eyes on her. I still remember the good old days when I did everything just to make you happy. Now I am the pack Alpha and I can do whatever the fuck I want which includes sending you away from this house as you are no longer weed here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped.?


    ¡°You heard me right. I am the leader now, the one on the throne and not you or your father. and Rachel here,¡± he pulled her close, ¡°will be my Luna. She would bear an heir that would take over from me. Now leave ra for you are no longer needed here. I reject you as my mate.¡±


    With those words, they turned their back and walked back in leaving me to be drowned by my own tears. My feet suddenly felt weak and too tired to carry my body. I fell to the ground as tears flowed freely. For all the love I shared with Raymond, I had been repaid unfairly.?

 Chapter Three: The Rejected Mate

    ¡°We are here.¡± The driver pulled over at my parents¡¯ house. He helped me get my luggage from the back of the trunk and zoomed off, leaving the road dust to rush down my lungs.


    ¡°ra?¡±


    ¡°Mum?¡± I whispered, watching as she approached me. In that instant, I could not hold down the tears as it came rushing down, and so I hurried towards her and fell into her arms.


    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m home,¡± I whispered trarily.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you back with your luggage? What about Raymond?¡± She inquired as she held me tight.


    I wanted to respond, but the words had somehow refused to fall out as they clogged up my throat. I wanted to tell her everything, how the people I trusted most had dethroned me and stripped me of what was rightfully mine. How I had been stabbed a thousand times in my back without even knowing until it went through my heart.


    ¡°Mum,¡± I clutched her tighter through my tears.


    ???


    ¡°What happened ra? Why are you here with your luggage looking like this?¡±


    ¡°Raymond has gone rogue.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dad asked as soon as he stepped in.


    ¡°I returned from a business trip and caught Raymond in bed with my best friend, Racheal.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Mum gasped but she didn¡¯t know that was just the tip of the iceberg to what I had been going through.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± I informed them.


    ¡°There is more?¡±


    ¡°At first they med it on some coke Racheal was buzzed on, which supposedly prompted her into seducing Raymond, but they were all bloody lies. Raymond and Racheal had been seeing each other for years, right under our noses.¡±


    My parents couldn¡¯t believe their ears. They knew how much Rachel and I loved each other. Having been best friends since childhood, she was always around my house a lot and my parents ended up seeing her as a daughter.


    As for Raymond, my parents saw him like a son they never had. They had all been happy when we turned out to be mates and decided to get married to each other. It was a huge shock to both of them that those two people would end up stabbing me in the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry baby that you have to go through this.¡±


    ¡°Mum, I have been rejected. My supposed mate rejected me for my best friend. What¡¯s more horrifying than that? I¡¯ve been asking myself what I had done wrong.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that to yourself. Don¡¯t put yourself through all that. You are beautiful, smart, powerful and of a good heart. Don¡¯t ever look down on yourself because your mate rejected you. He woulde to regret this,  everything would be okay darling.¡±


    ¡°Mum, Dad, I want Raymond to be taken off the pack Alpha¡¯s seat. He is deceitful and certainly not to be trusted. He should be dethroned since he only got on the throne after getting married to me. I need my throne and my house back, I can¡¯t just let him and Racheal live their lives in that house, or throne. You guys were once the rulers of the pack, there must be something you both can do, right?¡±


    There was a stream of silence as they both stared at each other without saying a word.


    ¡°Mom? Dad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ra but there is nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You both have ruled the pack for so many years and you personally handed the position to Raymond because of me. Now, you have to take it back.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way ra. We are no longer rulers of the pack and so we have no power to dethrone him nor get back the house.  We are so sorry ra. But all will be well. You don¡¯t have to go through this alone, we will always support you. And you can stay here with us for as long as you want.¡±


    ???


    After a few days of wallowing in the house being depressed, I decided that I needed some fresh air away from my mother¡¯s smothers.


    ¡°I need to go to the mart to see if I can pick up some stuff for myself.¡± I informed her as I shrugged on my coat.


    ¡°That¡¯s totally fine, thank goddess you¡¯re finally out of your room. Tell you what, you can stay out as long as you want.¡±


    Just like everyone else at the mart, I took up the shopping basket and began putting things that I found worthy. Just then I walked past a midst ofdies who seemed to stop talking as soon as they sighted my presence around them.


    Barely a minute passed, and I began to eavesdrop on their conversation. In my defence I had heard my name this time and naturally, I got intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right no one deserves to be treated that way. ra, once so beautiful amongst all thedies, has been rejected by her mate.¡±


    ¡°What? When did that happen?¡± One of thedies sakes excitedly.


    ¡°The news is all over town now. Her mate chose her best friend over her, and they even took the house her parents had given to her and her mate as a present. It¡¯s such a pity, really.¡± the chubby woman chirped to the other four women whom she chatted with.


    ¡°That¡¯s so sad, what do you think might have caused her mate to reject her?¡± another asked.


    ¡°Maybe she was bad mouthed, or perhaps very poor in bed.¡±


    Thedies chuckled.


    ¡°Serves her right though. Maybe next time she would learn to be a better mate and not be so proud because her parents were once the pack rulers.¡±


    Ouch!N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Her words had stung so hard as I controlled my tears and lost the ability to keep up with the shopping. Mother was wrong,ing out was a mistake. I thought to myself as I scampered to return back home.

 Chapter Four: The Meeting

    I slump onto the bed, plunging into the duvet as the day¡¯s work weighs on me.


    ¡°How was your day at work?¡±


    Mum had noticed my gloomy presence as soon as I returned home from the office which she had encouraged me to go to.


    ¡°It was horrible.¡± I muttered tly.


    ¡°Why horrible? I thought you would have the best day at work today since it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t,¡± I spat as I sat up, ¡°while I walked down the hallway at the office, I saw everyone¡¯s eyes on me. I could hear them talking about me and whispering my name in every corner. Mother, I have be aughing stock amongst the people. Some people have this pitying look in their eyes when they stare at me. I hate that Raymond and Rachel had done this to me. They¡¯vepletely ruined my life. I can¡¯t keep living like this.¡±


    ¡°Your Dad and I have decided to hold a meeting with Raymond and his parents.¡± She dered after a little while.


    ¡°Mum, I don¡¯t think that there is any need for that. I mean I have already epted my faith.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t the only ones that called for this meeting. Raymond¡¯s parents also seek an exnation to why his son has chosen another mate despite all that you had gone through for him.¡±


    ¡°I am still not in support of this.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted this?¡±


    ¡°I know, I mean I thought so too but right now I can¡¯t care to look at him anymore.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What if it is some kind of ploy to escte things. I think we should let this die.¡±


    ¡°After all that Raymond has put you through? I watch you everyday as you wallow in pain and self pity in this house. While you should be out there in your daily endeavours achieving your dreams and living your best life you are here all day only leaving the house after being forced. I don¡¯t like what this man has done to you.¡±


    ¡°I will get past all of that. You said it yourself or do you not believe that I would?¡±


    She looked away.


    ¡°Mum?¡±


    ¡°Mum! You aren¡¯t saying anything? I can¡¯t believe that you would think that I would not be okay.¡±


    ¡°I know you would darling but this thing takes time and I don¡¯t think that you should suffer for that long for Raymond or Racheal. They aren¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this mum.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± she tried holding on to me as I moved her hands away from my grip.


    ¡°I need to be alone mum.¡±


    Even after my warnings and desires not to see Raymond again, Raymond¡¯s parents appeared at the werewolf council where they had chosen for the meeting. Every being of me wanted to stay home but then, I should be out there speaking my mind. Maybe somehow, I would get the house.


    As I approached the door, I stood for a bit as I heaved a sigh from within my chest. I stretched out my hands to hold the door knob and as such pulled it away just immediately. Tears gradually gathered by the sides of my eye lids in which I brushed away immediately. I didn¡¯t want to be seen as weak, not after a couple of weeks after I was rejected. I shouldn¡¯t let Raymond see that I grieved over him as my heartbeat suddenly increased and my chest tightened again. Without another thought, I touched the knob pushing the door open and like the bravest thing ever, I stepped in and suddenly the room felt bigger than it actually was. The neck of everyone twisted towards my direction and immediately I sighted Raymond not wanting to see anymore of his fake expressions. I looked away and with just a nce surveyed the room until I found my mother with a space left beside her in which I settled in.


    ¡°Thank you everyone foring, ¡± the leader of the werewolf town council echoed and continued,  ¡°for a couple of weeks now, we have heard rumours that Raymond Klein has rejected his mate ra Malthus and had gotten a new mate Racheal Stone. And from what we have witnessed so far these rumours are only true. People have been going around spilling wrong information on this matter as to why Raymond had rejected his mate and Mr and Mrs Klein as well as Mr and Mrs Malthus which are the parents of ra and Raymond had called for this meeting to know the reason why Raymond had rejected their beloved daughter ra. We would let the Malthus speak as they were the ones who first called for this meeting.¡±


    My father began with the sad tale,  ¡°Our daughter, ra returned with her luggage¡¯s a couple of week ago looking all sad and weary,¡±


    I wished so much that he had used a different word to describe my state. I didn¡¯t want Raymond to think that he had seeded in putting me through misery. I looked away from the rest of the people resting my eyes on the band wall as he continued.


    ¡°She had told us that she had caught Raymond in bed with her best friend Racheal and when she confronted them, Raymond rejected ra as his mate iming that he never loved her. That¡¯s an outright lie in fairness to our daughter after all that we did for you,¡± my father directed to Raymond who only smirked.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Father and the entire werewolf council,¡± Raymond began, ¡°I loved ra so dearly that I would do anything for her¡­¡±


    ¡°What bloody lie do I perceive?!¡± I barked as mother held me down.


    ¡°Mr and Mrs Malthus hold your daughter or she would be sent out of the meeting!¡± The leader of the werewolf council yelled and Raymond continued.


    ¡°¡­ but on the eve before we were mated I caught ra in bed with a strange man¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What?! Oh my God! Raymond! That¡¯s a bloody lie Raymond! He is fucking lying!¡±  I gasped.


    ¡°¡­ I felt betrayed and wished that she would tell me about maybe I would have forgiven her and she would have gained my trust again but she didn¡¯t tell me about it instead she kept in with her secret meeting with this strange man which only hurt me. So I thought about what I would be doing with someone that doesn¡¯t even want me. So I want nothing to do with ra Malthus anymore for she is a cheat and not to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°Raymond, you dare lie against me? After all that I did for you?¡±


    ¡°Order!¡± The elderly man eximed as I crashed back to my seat at this point, there was no holding back the tears as it came straight from a broken heart.


    ¡°How could he lie against me mum?¡± I muttered.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Rx ra, I see what you mean now and Raymond would not go unpunished for all the lies and atrocities he has put you through.¡± She sounded assured and for once a smile stretched my lips as the thought to make him pay for all he had done to me came to mind.

 Chapter Five: Raymond has gone Rouge!

    ¡°Raymond, how dare you lie against my daughter with such authority?¡± Dad had also found his testimonies fishy just like everyone else.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Mr Malthus, why would you think that I would be lying?¡±


    ¡°I know my daughter ra, I know how deeply she has loved you and so portrayed to us that you were a good man even if I could see through that thick skin of pretence that you were just full of deceit. If only she had listened to our desire of not choosing you as a mate, maybe we wouldn¡¯t be having this meeting.¡±


    Raymond only stunned everyone as he got into an outburst ofughter. Roaring so loud that I wondered what veil thoughts he had gathered up there.


    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know who you are talking to. If you did, you would remember to include an iota of respect when spilling out your disrespectful words.¡±


    Raymond had not only disrespected me but also my father as he spoke with so much pride.


    ¡°Raymond, may we remind you that we were once the pack alpha before you even came to existence.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see so this is what this meeting is about huh? Toe and tell me what ce you are,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°The only reason you are able to rule this pack or even be the pack alpha is because thisdy you solely despised brought light onto you. You were nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°We would not sit and watch you talk to our son in that manner. He is still your pack alpha and you would talk to him with some respect!¡±


    The Klein¡¯s spoke back at my father as my chest boiled in rage.


    As the meeting went on, I knew very well that as Raymond still remained the pack alpha, there was nothing that could be done. I couldn¡¯t imagine us being together again not after what he had done and after all the lies he had said about me in the presence of everyone. At this point everyone wanted me to say something maybe like a sad speech that would rify Raymond that I was pained and soaked in pity but I made sure that none of that was forting.


    ¡°We have heard all that you guys have said, even if we aren¡¯t quite clear as to why Raymond would reject his mate as he has no evidence as to what he ims ra did. There is just little that we can do. Raymond,¡± he turned towards Raymond and continued, ¡°You might be the Pack Alpha and feel that you have all the powers over all in this pack but we the werewolf council can still in our little way bring you down if you feel too proud to handle the position. So we would end this meeting here telling you to keep caution, trade wisely and lead with humbleness. You are free to be with whoever mate you choose. However,  we will be watching.¡±


    He ended the words which somehow I knew had bruised a bit of Raymond¡¯ ego.


    ¡°Mr and Mrs Malthus,¡± and just when I thought I had heard it all Raymond called out to my parents again as they made to leave and in a much lower tune than how he had spoken before,  ¡°you guys think you would call me out here to humiliate me, one thing you guys always forget is that I hold the position of theck alpha and there is absolutely nothing any of you can do about it. You all could have just stayed in yourne but I guess it¡¯s toote for that now.¡±


    ¡°Is that some kind of threat Raymond?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh dear ra, call it whatever you want but just hold it in your mind that you would regret ever bringing up this meeting.¡±


    ???


    We all sat on the couch as soon as we got home with just our thoughts as no one said anything.


    ¡°I knew this was just a waste of our time, now I feel even worse for even attending that meeting. Everyone now sees me as a whore because their dear pack alpha had given false words against me.¡±


    I broke the silence dragging everyone else from their streams of thought.


    ¡°You were right ra, Raymond is such an awful person. I can¡¯t believe he would be so callous towards us.¡±


    ¡°I told you mum, I told you that he had all of this nned out. He even had the audacity to lie against me.  How dare he?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay darling.¡± Mum held me close.


    ¡°No need to grieve. Raymond had chosen the path of deceit. The funny thing is he didn¡¯t change, he had always been like this and we had refused to see through him all this year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all what we¡¯ve been saying all this while. But I am travelling, what did he mean by those words he said to us as we made to leave the council? Was it some kind of threat?¡± Mum asked with her concerned look all over her face.


    ¡°Those are just mere threats.¡± Dad sounded assured.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Raymond is weak and too proud to do anything to us.¡±


    ¡°Too proud to not do anything to us,¡± I said.


    His threats haunted me all night as I could not find my sleep again. He sounded pissed by what the council leaders had said and wanted to pour it all down on us. I knew Raymond so well, how arrogant he was to let anyone who trampled on his pride go free. Everything about that meeting felt wrong from when mother had first announced it to me until when the final words were dered. I still wondered why he had not brought his whore with him. Maybe deep down he still felt guilt.


    Even as much as I detested attending that meeting, it made me have a sense of closure as peace finally prevailed as I awoke the next morning. And was settled to have breakfast with the rest of the family as I was seated just in time like everyone else and not stroll down the stairs sluggish dragging my feet as I had always done when I first returned home.


    ¡°Good morning, mum,¡± I threw a grape seed into my mouth as I settled in.


    ¡°Morning darling, someone looks good today, I guess you finally had a good sleep.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it was all good but it was the best I had had in a while,¡±  I grinned, ¡°Where is Dad? And why are you doing the cooking yourself? We¡¯re the kitchen staff and the rest of the house staff?¡±


    ¡°Oh, your father will join us soon and I sent the house staff on a short leave so we would have a quiet family time just for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll really do with some peace and quiet. Hey Dad,¡± I said as soon as I saw him walking down the stairs.


    ¡°Someone is all smiles today.¡±


    ¡°I said the same thing,¡± Mum said, ¡°Come help me with this,¡± She instructed, as I moved over to help with the dishes, there was a bang on the door that shook the hinges startling everyone and then another which pulled it open forcefully.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± I could not believe what I gazed upon.

 Chapter Six: The Banishment

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you people doing in my home?¡± Dad asked as the troop of guards from the werewolf council badged into our home but before the question could get to them, they grabbed him and mum as one of the guards approached me. I moved aback still in dismay to what was going on as they grabbed me from behind as they took us out. We met a crowd gathered just outside as well as the werewolf council members.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked but no one seemed to listen. Just then, I turned and saw Raymond in the midst of the crowd. He seemed to be leading them which piqued every curiosity in me.


    ¡°Raymond? What is all this about? Why did you bring us all out here?¡±


    ¡°I warned you, ra, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You bring us out here under the sun in the midst of the people, what is this all about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll soon know why you are out here.¡±


    He pulled away from me as he faced the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I yelled to the guards as they pulled me down to the ground with my parents trying us up. At first it just began so unreal as if I was just in one of my nightmares but as I was harshly struck down, with the agonising pain growing every minute, I knew just yet that it was my reality, our reality.


    ¡°This family here had been once a respected family for decades but justst night we got the shocking news that Caleb, one of the betas of this pack, was found dead. And after further investigations we found a familiar scent and prints that belonged to Mr Malthus.¡±


    ¡°What? Dad?¡± I gasped turning to face my father who also had a look of surprise written all over his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous, my father was home all day yesterday. How could he have killed Caleb?¡±


    ¡°You have no right to speak as your family has done an unforgivable act!¡± Raymond spoke and just then, it all came to me, the threats and the looks Raymond had all along it urred to me what he had done.


    ¡°Raymond¡­¡±


    ¡°As the rules demand, we would let the pack alpha ce a judgement on what would be done to this abominable family.¡±


    The crowd went silent as everyone was keen to hear what decision Raymond had set for us. I knew that whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t good for us.¡°


    ¡°For what Mr Malthus has done, killing one of our own, he and his entire family would be furnished from this town never to return. Any day they are seen around disobeying these orders they would be killed. That¡¯s my judgement.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Raymond, no that can¡¯t happen. You can¡¯t do that to us. First you betrayed me, took my house, now you are banishing us from the only town that we know.¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± he held my chin,  ¡°this is not about you.¡±


    ¡°You know quite well that this is. Why do you drag my family into this? This was just between the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Oh you knew that all along and you still sent ahead to drag me to a fruitless meeting to humiliate me right? Well how is that working for you?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair, Raymond.¡±


    Tears rolled down my cheek.


    ¡°I warned you ra, didn¡¯t I? But once again you proved stubborn. Like I said, you should never have dared call that meeting yesterday because you all dug your grave when you did.¡±


    ¡°Raymond, why hurt my family so much? When all we have shown you is love and affection?¡±


    ¡°This town would be more peaceful with you killers out of here. What are you guys waiting for?! Take them out of here or kill them if they refuse to leave?¡±


    ¡°Raymond, no please. Just let my parents go.¡±


    My words were unheard as they dragged us without even letting us take our belongings.


    ¡°Let me be!¡± I struggled taking their hands off me.


    ¡°Can I at least take my phone? Or some money with me?¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed back into the house.¡± One of the men said.


    ¡°But I need some money or we would starve or at least let me get my phone. We are headed into a path we aren¡¯t familiar with. Do you want us to die?¡±


    ¡°That would be even much better.¡±


    Raymond¡¯s words struck me hard and the will to struggle left me as I let them toss me around taking through a forbidden path of the banished. Out of the border where the protection of the pack did not reach out to. Most omegas who walked alone were killed and it was like a hunting ground for different packs. As we left the protection of what was once our pack, we became like a prey for whoever decided to be our predators.


    With no money, food or even clothing we left on foot walking through the oath as we headed out of town as gradually fear crawled down my throat.


    As we walked down the street, through the dryness of the aridnd, the thin shrivelled air rushed freely to my face, as I walked along, dry hay crunching underneath my feet. We had been walking for about two hours. My feet ached as it suddenly felt too heavy to carry my weight, my shoulders hung as though a heavy bag weighed on my left shoulder and my throat longed for moisture. I needed nothing more than to rest and have a warm meal.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mum asked as she watched me. I nodded in affirmation. The road was dry and it felt strange that no car passed that path. I turned backwards facing the direction of where we hade from but saw no one, not even a distant truck passing by, only the bowing stems of the tall hays by the paths. And just then a rush of hot air graced my face and the heat was like that of a cksmith furnace with a sting on my skin giving me teary eyes. Tiny brown leaves rolled across the road in the direction of the wind, a sign of a lonely and abandoned route.?


    I continued the walk, on the same side that I had been walking for thest hours, something I learnt to do after the banishment.


    I had learned to like the warm feel of the midday sun on the sands, burying my shoes that I got the itchy bits of sand on my skin. I watched the wind bring the dust on my footprints.


    ¡°That¡¯s a car approaching us.¡± I heard the voice of my mother with excitement, finally we would be out of the road. But I did not see any of the distance. I stopped walking as I heard the engine rustle like that of a ten pound horse galloping at full speed. Maybe mother was right. I wish it was.?


    Suddenly, my vision became blurry and suddenly I could not feel my legs as I crashed faced down on the hot sand passing out.

 Chapter Seven: My Plight

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I opened my eyes gradually as the lights rested in them.


    ¡°You are at the hospital,¡± Mum held my hands as she smiled at me.


    ¡°Hospital?¡± Just as I tried to leave the bed, an agonising pain struck my head pulling me down.


    ¡°Rx, my dear.¡±


    ¡°My head hurt so much,¡± I groaned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You fainted.¡±


    ¡°Fainted? I guess the road walk has been entirely stressful on me.¡±


    ¡°We thought so too until the doctor confirmed that¡­¡±  She paused and looked away.


    ¡°Confirmed what mum?¡±


    ¡°That you are pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant? Oh my God?! How did this happen?¡± Tears fell freely from my eyes.


    ¡°Is it Raymond¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t been with anyone else since Raymond. How could I not have known that I was pregnant? It¡¯s hurt most that I am with the child of a man who just banished us from the only home that we know. How do I navigate through life holding this child all alone?¡±


    ¡°You are not alone ra. This news might be a bit shocking to us but we are here for you all through the way.¡±


    ¡°Where do we go from here? We have no money and our insurance doesn¡¯t cover this hospital bill,¡± Mum said.


    ¡°Then we have to leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, before someone sees us.¡±


    ¡°But that would be¡­¡±


    ¡°Wrong?¡± Mum cut him off.


    ¡°We have nothing on us right now. We can¡¯t risk being seen by anyone. We just need to get as far away from here as possible. If luck shines on us, we could get into a new pack.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we would be epted?¡±


    ¡°Dad,  mum is right. We need to leave and hopefully we would stumble on another pack who would be willing to take us in.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I have been the pack alpha for centuries and I know that taking a strange family into a pack is quite tacky. If we aren¡¯t epted, we could be killed.¡±


    ¡°And if we stay back here we would be killed as well. So whichever way, we have to leave here.¡±


    ¡°Good morning ra, I see you are doing very well today.¡± The nurse said, smiling. I sneaked the keys from her pocket as soon as she got close enough.

 Chapter Eight: An Escape

    ¡°I¡¯m doing very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. You would be discharged soon. Just get enough rest.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Thedy walked out after taking her notes of vitals check.


    ¡°Mum, I got the key.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would you do that? What if we get caught?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t if we leave here immediately.¡±


    We walked down the hallway as we got away from the ward. I walked in front while my parents followed behind. Ahead, I sighted some men reaching towards our direction with the familiar wear of that of Raymond¡¯s men. We must have been taken back to his territory. We diverted into a small room by the hallway closing the door behind us.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Dad?¡± I whispered as I watched him gasping for breath.


    ¡°We need to be quiet, so we don¡¯t get heard.¡±


    But his breathing had be too noisy, I held my hands over his mouth just so that they would not hear him breathing as they approached the door. Suddenly, the thumping footsteps stopped as soon as they got closer to the door. I watched the shadows of their feet loitering around. Mum shut her eyes, my hand trembled as it had grown weary holding over Dad¡¯s lips. My heart thumped as I thought of the possibility of being caught. Just then, we watched their shadows pass by. And their thumping footsteps became distant.


    After a few minutes catching our breaths as we finally thought they would be far distant, I gradually pulled the door, scanning the surroundings with just a nce. They were gone.


    ¡°We have to keep going,¡± I ordered and we began walking down.


    Unknowingly, one of the men walked from behind, I noticed as soon as I saw him and put on the hoodie I had along in my grip avoiding his eyes.


    ¡°We need to quicken our steps. I think that man has seen us.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he would recognize us?¡±


    Mum asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you are still on the patient¡¯s gown. He would notice something.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! ra, I told you to put on that dress I handed you with the hoodie.¡±


    ¡°There was no time Mum.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± The man¡¯s voice echoed from the hallway as he approached us.


    ¡°Oh shit! We need to keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Stop there at once!¡±


    We did not respond nor did we turn backwards, instead, I ran so fast and fled down the stairs constantly watching my parents so they would just be behind me. They clearly did not need my assistance as their wolf side was fully charged and their  fangs and ws were all out. We jumped down from the three-storey building and hid under the stair house. When the men came close, they could not find us around so we got to the parking lot.


    ¡°We should get in a car and leave here.¡± I advised.


    ¡°But that would be stealing,¡± Mum was clearly against all the ideas I had up my sleeves.


    ¡°We have no choice. We are fugitives now and we need to do what we need to do to survive.¡±


    ¡°But there must be another way. Taking this car will only cause more havoc.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Mum, no one cares about that and besides there are over a hundred cars here, who would notice? We are only borrowing it for a spin.¡±


    ¡°We can run , we are fast.¡±


    ¡°Our wolf side is getting weak, and ra is pregnant. ra is right, we need to get in a car and leave before we get caught,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Thank you for that Dad.¡±


    A young boy walked down a car,  swinging the keys in his grip.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he waved to us. I noticed that he was unaware of what was going on so I decided to y along.


    ¡°Hi,¡±


    ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I sent a man to give my car keys to one of the valets. And now, I don¡¯t know which valet he gave the keys to. I need to take my parents home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m so sorry for that. I¡¯m a valet and I¡¯ve helped park a lot of cars today. But this key was given to me by a man this morning. It¡¯s been with me all day. Maybe you can take a look at the car and see if it¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure that would be great.¡±


    ¡°This is it, ¡± He pointed to a Mercedes G-20, ¡°This is your car right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I avoided the gaze of Mum as I retrieved the key from him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked as he had seemed to notice the constant stare we faced outside.


    ¡°Nothing, we are fine.¡±


    ¡°And I noticed that there isn¡¯t enough gas in the car. Make sure to stop by and get gas so you wouldn¡¯t stop your trip halfway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I faked a smile, ¡°What else did you notice?¡±


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s you car. Or is it not?¡±


    ¡°ra, enough with the chit-chat I think we should leave here immediately,¡± Dad whispered.


    ¡°We need gas Dad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You guys seem distressed.¡±


    ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t handle. Just that we urgently need gas. Do you not assist with such services?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± He answered. I was stunned by his reply,¡± We? I thought you were the only one here.¡± My voice trembled.


    ¡°No, are you okay?¡± As he asked, three other men walked in. They were also surprised to see us.


    ¡°Like I said, I just need gas, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d get gas for you.¡±


    One of the men walked out as soon as he had walked in and I began to suspect that the men knew what was going on. And then he returned still with a wide gaze. As he was about to get the keys from me, the other man held him still so that he would not move. Just then, I got the signal, I heard the thumping footsteps  from a distance, the guards were fast approaching.


    ¡°What did you do?!¡± I shouted,  ¡°You led them to me, you fool!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I was only following orders.¡±


    ¡°You sons of bitches, you will all pay for this. Mum! ¡­ Dad! get in. We shut the doors immediately zooming off into the road. Just in time before the guards could get hold of us.


    We had been on the road all through the night. We did not stop for a rest nor did we stop for gas. We trailed through until it was dawn and still kept on driving until we got to theke.


    ¡°We are out of gas, this car is going to stop any minute now.¡±


    ¡°Then, we have to get off the road.¡±


    ¡°I feel so bad about this. First we steal a car, now we are getting through a path with zero gas. With no money or food.¡±


    ¡°Darling, you do not have to remind us of our situation now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can see a new pack or at least a new town. Let¡¯s be optimistic for once!¡± I barked as I navigated through the road.


    I held the steering firm as I drove, stepping on the elerator at intervals. I turned to a path on the right side. A rough road through a forestednd. The road had brown sand with tall grass by the side. It looked more like a bush path. With such a trial, I was sure we would lose the people following behind us. Or so I thought.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter Nine: The Capture

    The road narrowed down as I drove further. I turned to find them fast asleep. I drove quietly for nearly three hours and still couldn¡¯t find anything worth stopping for. Then I took a sharp bend to another narrow route, there was a high rock halfway buried in the sand. I could have sworn I had dodged it until the loud bump shook the car. There was a loud ng from the collision of the metal exhaust pipes in the car and the hard rock. We all jerked forward and l nearly flew to the windshield. Dad opened his eyes to see us in a narrow route with long trees around us.


    He held his head as it had hit on the side of the ss.


    ¡°Ouch! That was a loud bump. What¡¯s going on? ¡± He asked, running his head with his palm.


    ¡°I think we are lost, ¡± I said, stepping on the brake.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Dad held the map, checking through it to see if he could tell where they were.


    ¡°You had a map all along?¡±


    ¡°I fall asleep for a while and we end up in the middle of nowhere,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon you agreed on taking this route too.¡±


    ¡°I think you need to keep going. There should be something down there,¡± He sounded hopeful.


    ¡°I have been doing that for a while now. Still haven¡¯t seen anything. Looks like a dead end.¡±


    We kept going through the path. asionally, Dad  popped his head through the window at every interval to see if there was something he would see. The forest was quiet with the sound of the engine disturbing its peace. The birds chirped, flying above us up in the high tree. We could hear the hissing of the reptiles and humming insects.


    ¡°Do you think anyone is out here?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said, still on the steering wheel. There was a sh of red light on the fuel gauge. The red indicator arm settled on the ¡°E.¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I cried out,  ¡°Not now, not now!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We are out of gas.¡± I turned towards him.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    I held the steering wheel and watched the car slow down, driving to aplete halt. Dad was already gazing at me by the time I looked at him.


    We took in deep breaths leaning to the seat.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    After a while sitting without saying anything to each other, Dad got out of the car.


    Mum slowly opened her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°The car stopped, we ran out of gas.¡±


    ¡°Oh God!¡± She gasped looking around.


    ¡°Hello!¡± she called out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t yell, you could draw some attention towards us.¡±


    ¡°Is that not what we need right now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What about people from the wild or animals?


    ¡°Oh please,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    He climbed to the roof of the car and looked ahead.


    ¡°I think I see something.¡± Dad said.


    ¡°What do you see?¡¯


    ¡°Like some rooftops. I think there is a town up north. We should check it out. Maybe we can get a phone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Mum said.


    ¡°What about the car? Do we leave it here?¡± She asked.


    He walked over cutting off some broad fern leaves and ced it around the car.


    ¡°This should do the trick.¡± He said and we walked down.


    ¡°What¡¯s that over there?¡± We sighted some hyenas. They were sipping from theke as we approached them.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    They surrounded us. Moving around as a predator preparing to devour their prey.


    ¡°Stay away.¡± I watched them.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you.¡± One of the hyenas dived in and I blocked it, hitting it down. It got the other hyenas furious and they all charged, saliva dripping from their mouth. I bent down and ced one hand on the ground as I raised my head, my eyes and fangs had alle out. I roared at the hyenas so that they ran away fearfully. Bringing out to my wolf¡¯s side when I was weak only made me weaker and so I fell to the ground gasping for air.


    ¡°Oh my God ra, you shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Mum cried out reaching out for me.


    ¡°You could have hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°The hyenas wereing for us.¡±


    ¡°You should have let us handle it. You are with a child.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of that. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    Anchored on my father¡¯s arm, we got to theke and took in more water.


    ¡°It¡¯s so refreshing,¡± Mum took in, nearly falling into the water. Just then, I noticed a familiar nt by theke as I moved over to it.


    ¡°Shit! Stop drinking!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wolf¡¯s bane over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± They spat out the water from their mouths but the wolf¡¯s bane already taken made our wolf side only grow weaker. I summoned it several times but it did not seem to respond to me.


    We gathered dried tree branches and leaves and made a tent where we retired for a long nap but before that, Dad had already put on a fire to scare away the animals while we slept.


    I opened my eyes to the constant thumps on the ground. Wiping out sleep from my eyes and putting off the fire. I could not find my parents beside me, only voices outside.


    Without wasting any more time, I hid beside the trunk of the oak tree and watched the carriages driven by some men. I sighted my parents being dragged into one of the carriages. I saw five men fully dressed and armed, but didn¡¯t see clearly as the lights were still very dim and dawn had not yet set in.


    How could they have gotten to my parents?


    ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± One of the men ordered. He bent over to the burnt-out stick and sniffed it.


    ¡°Someone was here, check the tent.¡±


    ¡°That was us, there is no one there,¡± My Dad echoed.


    ¡°Shut up old man.¡±


    The men quickly invaded the tent but did not find anyone.


    ¡°There is no one here.¡± The other man announced. The first man walked forward a bit, ¡°I think we should keep going, we need to deliver the people before dawn.¡±


    I peered forward to see what was in the carriage, I heard the voices of people from within the carriage. It wasn¡¯t just my parents there.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I gasped under my breath, moved backwards a bit and trampled on a dried-out stem which made a loud creak. The men suddenly stopped moving on hearing that and quickly turned towards the oak tree but they did not see me as I duck underneath.


    They began moving slowly towards the tree. I tried to bring out my wolf¡¯s side but it did not respond. Turned out I had taken so much wolf¡¯s bane from the water in theke which hadpletely suppressed my wolf¡¯s side.


    Thest time I had this much wolf¡¯s bane, I had heard the physician tell my father that I might not be able to see my wolf¡¯s side for a long time. I ended up seeing my wolf¡¯s side after a couple of weeks.

 Chapter Ten: Let her run

    I did not know where to go, the men were approaching fast and I could not take them down on my own. They looked huge and powerful, each armed with knives and other weapons I couldn¡¯t even guess. The only thing on my mind was to run. And so I ran, I ran as fast as my leg could carry me. And at that instant, I felt like my legs had failed me as my mind raced. I was fast but the men were faster. I could see them just behind my shoulder. There was a cave just ahead. I wished I could get to it before they got to me. I was so engrossed in getting to the cave that I did not notice the rock that was right in front of me that I jammed my feet on it and fell face down on the ground.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    I tried to get free from their grip but they pulled me towards the rest of the men and the carriages.


    ¡°Get your hands off my daughter.¡±


    The leader of the men held me by my cheek. I spat at his face, he began tough hysterically and the other men joined him.


    ¡°Oh, I can see a family bond here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her.¡± Dad screamed from within the carriage.


    ¡°If you are such a protector as you im, what are you doing in the woods?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± I snared. And they onlyughed louder on seeing how helpless I was.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked.


    ¡°If you are as wise as you im to be, why don¡¯t you know that yourself?¡±  The man suddenly stoppedughing and looked sternly at me on my shoulder and I fell on my knees.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest timedy, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± I quickly responded, still facing down.


    ¡°ra, you are bold. I do admire your courage. You know we captured ady just like you. She was fierce and spoke out, but do you know what happened to her?¡± He chuckled,¡± We chopped off her head. I know you don¡¯t want to be like her, do you?¡± He did not wait for any response, ¡± You areing with us.¡±


    ¡°Put her in a separate carriage, we leave immediately.¡± One of the men carried Catherine on his shoulders and threw me in the only carriage that was empty. As we set to leave, the sun began toe up.


    He signalled the other man putting a cloth over my nose, I immediately lost consciousness.


    Pain gripped my head and I winced holding my head as soon as I opened my eyes. I did not know how long I had been out. I looked through the small opening of the carriage by the time I had fully woken up. I could only hear the voices of the men but could not see anyone as it was alreadypletely dark.


    ¡°Let¡¯s camp here for the night. Feed the horses and take them to the stream for water.¡±


    The leader instructed one of the men. I was pulled out from the carriage just after they had brought out the rest of the ves including my parents in the other carriages and tied them together.


    ¡°Let go of me.¡± I resented and freed myself from their grip although my hands and legs were bonded so I could not properly move.


    ¡°Come here.¡± The man forged towards me but I nudged him with my shoulders. The man held me firmly and pulled me until I fell to the ground but did not make an attempt to stand up again.


    ¡°Mum,¡± I called out but they were a bit distanced from where we sat.


    ¡°You have to stop struggling with these men so you don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    The men distributed some yeast bread and a te of stew each for us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your food. What kind of food are these? Even my dogs do not eat such food and you give me this to eat and call it food?¡± I hit the dish away and some of the stew spilled on the floor, ¡°I cannot eat that.¡±


    ¡°Lady, you do not have a choice. You either eat or you starve.¡±


    The man bent over to take up the stew and I took a bite of the bread and spat it to his face. He slowly wiped off the chewed-up bread from his face as he stared at me furiously.


    ¡°I need water, ¡± I ordered, staring at the man. The man only grunted and passed a big mug of water which the other ves had drunk from.


    ¡°I cannot drink from the same cup that they drink from.¡±


    The men only looked at each other andughed hysterically.


    ¡°ra, you need to stop this,¡± Mum whispered.


    ¡°How dare they treat us like ves?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, that¡¯s what we are.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The man posing to be the leader asked.


    ¡°You can ask your little princess. She refused to drink from the same cup of her fellow ves.¡± He bent over,


    ¡± Why have you refused to eat and drink? We need you to be strong and healthy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you care.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course we do not care. But unhealthy foods are bad for business don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out very soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s if I haven¡¯t freed myself by then.¡± ¡°You are such a hardened nut to crack.¡±


    I only eyed him and looked away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know me, do you?¡± He held my neck and pulled me upwards. I saw the scar beside his left eye. It had reddish flesh and looked like it had hurt a lot. I could hear the squeak from my windpipe as he squeezed it. My eyes had be teary and he did not remove his gaze from my eyes. I struggled trying to put his hands off but his grip only got stronger.


    He let go of my neck as I fell to the ground, my head did not miss the small rock that was beside me. I ignored the pain and kept calm.


    The men left the us and gathered around the me as they roasted a pheasant for dinner. I could hear theirughter as they munched on the dead animal that was halfway roasted.


    I managed to bring out a w and slowly cut through the rope around my wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it ra,¡± Dad whispered.


    ¡°If I can get past these people, I can get help for us.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t do it, you would get killed.¡±


    I ignored his words as the well baked n sat well in my head.


    By the time the men were done, I pretended to be asleep like the rest of the captives.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them back to the carriage, we move at night.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The other two men said simultaneously.


    They began with the other captives taking them up from the ground into the carriages. I held on to the small rock in my grip hiding it underneath my dress. The man did not see the rock nor did he know that I had loosened myself free. As he bent over and pulled up my arm, he saw the rope sliding off. Before he could say a word, I hit him so hard with the rock that he let go of my arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go after her.¡± The leader said,  ¡°Let her run.¡± He added as they stood.

 Chapter Eleven: The Alpha King

    Unknowing to me, the men had set multiple traps around the woods just in case something like that had happened. I ran ahead without looking back until I ran into a thin string tied against two trees that threw me backwards.


    ¡°Raphael, should we go after her now?¡± One of the men asked the leader.


    ¡°No, I will get her myself.¡± He walked in bold steps towards where Iid. Then he pulled me back up.


    I winched at the pain of my hair being pulled. ¡°Stop!¡±  I cried in pain.


    ¡°Oh, this is just the beginning. You have no idea what I¡¯m going to do to you. I warned you, didn¡¯t I? But you do not want to listen. Now you will see what I mean.¡±  He did not wait for a response as he hit me severally. I heard my parents¡¯ voices from a distance as they cried.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time that we show her that she is just a ve like every other person here.¡± Then he brought out a syringe and showed me.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I was scared as I tried to move backwards but I was in pain.


    ¡°You are about to find out.¡±


    ¡°No stop, please stop.¡± But it all fell on deaf ears. He injected me with it. I could not move a limb. I watched the man bind my hands and legs again and gradually I felt my eyelids close. The content in the syringe had somehow subdued the pain.


    It was noon by the time we arrived at a residence the next day. It was in the middle of a green field, there was a ranch and a stable just behind the building.


    ¡°Stand here!¡±


    ¡°Where is this ce?¡± I whispered to Dad who only had an empty gaze just as Mum did.


    ¡°This is the residence of the Alpha king. You better be of your best behaviour or else, he would take off your head,¡± the guard threatened.


    Just then, a man with a white curly moustache that matched his blonde hair walked out. He had a built-up body that I somehow admired as I caught a glimpse of him.


    ¡°Master, these were the people I saw lurking in your territory. What should we do with them?¡±


    He walked around looking sternly into our faces and suddenly stopped as he got just in front of my father.


    ¡°You,¡± he said, ¡°Do you remember me?¡±


    ¡°As you can see I am an ageing man, I have met a lot of people in my lifetime. If you can jiggle my memory a bit, maybe I will be able to remember you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can remember you. How can I forget the face of the people who had caused me so much pain?¡±


    ¡°Dad, what does he mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Dad? Oh you have a daughter, such a beauty,¡± he walked closer to me.


    I remained calm all through the process and did not say a word.


    I watched as Mum began to sob.


    ¡°You should tell your little girl what you did to a family, twenty years ago. I can see curiosity growing in her eyes.¡±


    ¡°ra, it¡¯s okay, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You know, those were the same words my parents said to me before you sapped life out of them. Do you know how it feels living as a kid in this part of the world without your parents to guide you through the rough patch this world has to offer? Do you know?!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°Dad¡­ Mum, is this true?¡±


    ¡°We were on a mission and we had no choice. Darling being the pack Alpha came with a lot of responsibilities. It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    ¡°You know after that night, I could never take the face of my patent killers out of my mind. Everyday I hoped that I would be powerful enough to find you and finally kill my parents¡¯ killers. That day they just got the news that they had just acquired a house in their dream town. We were to move in a few weeks but you and your wife took that away from me in just a silly quest.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°We are so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Too bad your apologies cannot bring back my parents.¡±


    ¡°Oh God! This is bad,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Master, what do we do with them!¡±


    ¡°Kill them! And make it slow and painful!¡±


    ¡°No please,¡± I fell on his feet as tears clouded my eyes,  ¡°please don¡¯t harm them. I beg of you.¡±


    ¡°And why would I listen to you when they didn¡¯t listen to me when I begged for my parents¡¯ life?¡±


    ¡°I know they aren¡¯t worthy of your mercy but revenge would not bring back your parents.¡±


    ¡°But it would bring back the peace that had eluded me!¡±


    ¡°Would it?¡±


    ¡°And who are you to ask me that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nobody, but please, I know you are a good soul.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me so don¡¯t act like you do! I can¡¯t just let them leave here in peace, no! never! My decision is final.¡±


    ¡°Trust me I understand your plight. I have lost a lot in the past month. I cannot afford to lose them and face this word alone. Take me instead.¡±


    ¡°What? ra no!¡± Dad rejected me as I ignored his words. I could not imagine watching my parents being killed at this point of my life.


    ¡°Take me as your ve, or as anything that you want. I would be yours and work for you as long as I live.¡±


    ¡°No please darling you can¡¯t do that. Let us pay for our sins.¡± Mum pleaded. I hid my eyes away from them as tears filled my cheek.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I would not have agreed to such a silly idea but I can see the pains in their eyes. That¡¯s all I want to see. It¡¯s a deal. Guards! Take these people out of my premises. But keep their daughter with the ves. I have a better use for her.¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± Mum called out as she was being led alongside Dad. I watched their backs as they were pulled. How the hands turn, my parents who were once the most powerful at the pack now tied arm length being pulled away.


    ¡°Seize her at once!¡± He backed as I turned towards him, with a wry smile.


    ¡°You asked for it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I moved aback avoiding their grasp as they pulled me along.


    ¡°Take your filthy hands off me,¡± I struggled but their grasp was so firm that I could feel their hands deep into my flesh.


    ¡°Move! You think you are so special aren¡¯t you?¡± The guards said as he threw me with the rest of the ves.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t special. Stay here with the rest of the ves.¡±


    ¡°I am not a ve!¡± I barked but his only response was a loudughter as he locked the door and walked away.


    That moment, the one I solely despised, watching the ones you love being dragged out of your life. The only set of people who were left but I had done what I thought was right with the hope to be reunited with my family someday.

 Chapter Twelve: My Plight

    His living room was just like a mini museum with ancient paintings and artefacts situated at different corners of the house. I was intrigued by its magnificence and he noticed as I roved my eyes around the ce.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I have seen better.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ For a ve, that¡¯s truly impressive.¡±


    I eyed him.


    ¡°Take her to my chambers and prepare her.¡±


    ¡°Prepare me for what?¡± I asked as I was being pulled away and dumped in his chambers. I wondered how manydies he had been with in the room that had been the dungeon to many.


    ¡°The bathroom is ready for your bath and your dress too.¡± Thedy dropped a dress by the edge of the bed.


    ¡°What does he want with me?¡±


    ¡°You have found favour in his eyes, you should be happy,¡± thedy whispered.


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, you just got here and you got to be in his personal chambers and have to wear a dress made with the finest silk. Every girl will dream to have this.¡±


    ¡°Every ve girl you mean. Such girls that do not have a choice.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a choice?¡± She asked and at that point, I realised that she was right. My freedom had been left with my parents. Even though I was advised to feel lucky I had never felt as the luckiest sitting in a strange man¡¯s room.


    As soon as thedies left, I headed to the bathroom for a bath.


    The pipes in the wall of the building creaked in the bathroom in his chambers as I turned on the shower. The water started from small cold drops on the back of my neck. Suddenly I realised the temperature of the water had gone up so high I was actually beginning to feel the intense heat from the water. I could feel it tingling across my scalp. The drops of water held my hair into tiny bundles and rolled from the tips of the end of my hair dropping on my back and neck. I held the droplets of water in my palms feeling it prickling on my palms. I licked my lips to find they tasted of salt. Then I turned leaning my back against the wall, only to find the water wasn¡¯t so hot after all. As the cooling sensation ran throughout my back. I held the slick soap in my palm sliding it over my shoulders, down my arms, around my torso, in a slow, rhythmic movement.


    The sweet smellingvender soap filled the entire bathroom. I turned facing the big mirror by the wall as I watched myself. My somewhat protruding stomach pointing back at me. I watched as the water rolled down to my navel as it dripped. Every minute I felt life being sapped while another grew in me. The life that Raymond had put in me and left us to wallow in pains and suffering in the arms of another. As I watched my rounded belly looking back at me, I ced my palm on it watching my hands run around it as I caressed my stretching out skin. I knew I could only hide it under the hoodie for a couple of months and after then everyone would know my little secret. I feared what he would do to me when he realised I would be of no use to him. The thought haunted me, maybe I should have gone just like my parents. I didn¡¯t know what strength was left in me as I stared at myself from the mirror.


    By this time, the heat from the water had intensified. It pulsed in my middle, radiating outwards until I had to exhale air through my mouth to gather enough oxygen to remain upright. I wrapped my arms tight around myself. Still feeling the heat from the water with the hot water trickling on my body. Feeling a kind of mixed sensation; a pleasurable pain. Something I wanted to feel at the moment.


    With no sound in the room, only that of the running water from the shower and the faint noiseing from the walls, perhaps the winery or halls in the building.


    I heard faint footstepsing towards the door and for a minute it stopped. The door was unlocked and the bathroom door was a bit ajar. I stood in a position for a while with the shower still running and then I heard the creaking of the outside door. I turned off the shower with a few final droplets rushing out. My skin had be pale red and my hair glued to my scalp. I put on the silk dress thedies had given me for the after bath and wrapped a towel over my head walking out of the bathroom to meet him sitting by the edge of the bed. His chest peeping from his robe like a smooth clean bronze te. He left the bed just as he saw me approach.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked, hiding my belly as I rushed for my hoodie but he took it off the bed just in time before I could get a hold of it.


    ¡°This is my chamber, remember? And you wouldn¡¯t be needing this.¡±


    He pushed the hoodie aside and walked closer.


    ¡°Why would you bring me to your chamber?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± He kepting.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You are quite too dumb for a pretty girl and a powerful werewolf at that. If not, how would you not know your use in my chambers by now? I mean your parents were one of a kind and it still pains me deep down that I didn¡¯t kill them. But you are mypensation and let it be said before I would change my mind.¡±


    And then it struck me of his intentions, I moved a step backwards and jammed the wall, he got close putting his hands around my waist with his lips behind my ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Like your words would change whatever is about to happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see now. You know the other ve girl told me to be overjoyed because of your intentions towards me. I actually thought it was something worth being happy for. But this? You are just a deranged man who usesdies who can¡¯t fight for themselves.¡±


    ¡°You can say whatever you want.¡±


    He grabbed me, forcing his lips on mine.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I threw his hands away, moving out of the wall towards the bed as he followed behind.


    ¡°Oh, I like their stubbornness and it makes it worth my time.¡±


    ¡°You are such a beast. I actually thought you would be better than this but too bad you can¡¯t seem to prove me wrong.¡±


    ¡°I will have you.¡±


    ¡°I am not a whore.¡±


    ¡°But you became my ve the second you decided to let those killers go.¡±


    ¡°They are my parents. I had to do what I had to do to save their lives.¡±


    ¡°And that includes sharing my bed with me. You should be grateful you were chosen for this. Such luck to be given this opportunity on a tter of gold.¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck you. Being here with you in your chambers is the worst thing that can happen to any woman and you call me lucky?¡±


    ¡°You talk too muchdy and I am not in the mood for a chit chat.¡±


    He held me, taking me to the bed as he tried the clothes out.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± I pushed him off as I headed towards the door but found it locked.


    ¡°Open the door, let me leave, you cunt.¡±


    ¡°Leave? No darling, no ones leaving at least not yet.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this with you.¡±


    ¡°I know I said I loved them stubbornly but not to the extent of wasting my time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be your sex toy.¡±


    He stood dumbfounded by my words as I spoke, maybe, he had not expected such words from a ve girl he had just obtained.


    ¡°Those words aren¡¯t for me, or are they?¡±


    He moved closer as I redressed backwards. If he had kept to his promise of not harming my parents, then they were somewhere lost in hunger and thirst, maybe being found by another strange pack I hoped they didn¡¯t have a history with.


    He held me as soon as he got closer pinning me to the bed, I took his hands off me as I moved aside.


    ¡°I can¡¯ty with you because I am with child!¡±

 Chapter Thirteen: My new home

    He watched in emptiness roving his eyes around my growing tummy that I hid under the hoodie.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He mmed the dust off the bed, ¡°What would I do with a pregnantdy?!¡± He asked rhetorically, ¡°You deceived me,  you never told me you were pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You tricked me into letting your parents go when you knew fully well that you were with your child. This is so unbelievable. I can¡¯t believe I fell for this. Why didn¡¯t anyone see this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t know what your intentions were towards me. I didn¡¯t know you wanted to use me as your sex ve.¡±


    ¡°What could I possibly want with someone like you if not to satisfy my sexual desires. Well, I can¡¯t let you fool me again.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Without a response, he headed towards the door.


    ¡°Wait,  hold on,¡± I said walking towards him but before reaching out, he closed the door behind him in split seconds, I heard the door click in it¡¯stch, ¡°Open the fucking door!¡± I yelled hitting the door continuously with my rounded fist until my hands felt sore and Iid in the pool of my own tears behind the door.


    After what could be an hour the door swung open and he walked alongside a strange man with a briefcase. Slowly, I crawled out from where Iid.


    ¡°She is the one,¡± he said pointing at me.


    ¡°Who is he and what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I am a doctor and I¡¯m here to confirm your pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you surely didn¡¯t believe me when I said I wasn¡¯t going to be your whore.¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t possibly be my whore when you were someone else¡¯s whore.¡±


    ¡°You are insane.¡±


    ¡°Well you clearly wouldn¡¯t be carrying a child without a make if you weren¡¯t a whore.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that to me, you know absolutely nothing about me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know enough about you already. You are not different from the others. You aren¡¯t special. You are just like every other ve girl who is going to work for me till your back aches and your feet feel sore and too tired to move.¡±


    The doctor examined my body for a while before returning to his briefcase as he faced him.


    ¡°The girl is right. She is with child.¡±


    ¡°I told you but you are too stubborn to listen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much doctor,¡± he said to the doctor turning to me,  ¡°Then you can¡¯t be here. Come with me!¡±


    He led me to a room in the yard before one of the farms.


    ¡°This is your room. It¡¯s a bit messy, so do well to have it cleaned up for yourfort.¡± He handed me a sack.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°Your clothing. You would no longer need those dresses anymore. I will hold on to the keys.¡±  He had been kind with his words when he talked about the room. It seemed it had been abandoned for too long.  The walls were constructed from stacked logs of wood, which were visibly infested with moulds. The brown rot-decayed wood was rtively dry and powdery, resulting in cubical cracks throughout the structure. The structuralponents had degraded significantly, with the back of the wood peeling away and its surface appearing much darker than fresh-cut timber.


    As I touched the wooden frame door, I felt a rough surface scratch my palms. I ran my palm along the wall to reach its backside where I found a softer spot; it turned out that some parts of the wood had be soft due to decay. I dipped my hand into one such rotten area and saw worms crawling their way out.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked incredulously as I watched worms crawling on my hands. ¡°Worms,¡± He replied calmly, ¡°I think you just disturbed their home.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! That¡¯s disgusting,¡± I eximed while holding my nose tightly shut. He chuckled, ¡± Enjoy your new home.¡±


    The air inside the cabin reeked of dust and had an unpleasant musty smell caused by mould and mildew build-up on the carpet ¨C simr to old socks or a stuffy attic not aired for months. Moisture on room walls imparted a cooler sensation reminiscent of earthy scents like dense forests or rotting woods mixed with dampness akin to wet puppy fur or locker rooms that have not been ventted properly. The musty smell rushed to my nose and I wrinkled my nose bridge in disgust.


    It  smelled so bad that I began to think that something had died there. I noticed books scattered around amidst half-decayed pages, and leaves strewn across floors alongside an old stool and sofa chair ¨C all contributing to making it look messier than necessary. It was obvious that the ce needed to be cleaned badly; as there were too many useless things lying around.


    I gathered everything in sight, putting them into boxes so that within an hour or so less time psed before it began smelling slightly better than earlier when I first entered this decrepit abode.


    I was awoken by the loud banging on the door. It was another day already and the sun was barely out. There was a sickle and basket just in front of the door.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± I asked but there was no one on sight to answer my question. I picked it up and stared at the tool.


    ¡°That¡¯s a sickle, we would be harvesting the rice in the rice farm.¡± Ady who had a more sophisticated appearance said to me,


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She smiled and responded,  ¡°I am Ana, I work for Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Ryan?¡±


    ¡°Ryan is the Alpha king.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see, no wonder the arrogance.¡±


    ¡°I was brought here just like you but found favour in his eyes. Here, you should work diligently or you will be punished. We begin immediately.¡±


    Amidst my confusion, I followed thedy. Surprisingly, there were five otherdies. They expertly began to harvest the rice seeds without any further instruction. It was obvious that the process was all strange to me as I did not know how to use the tool nor had she been to a rice farm before. The maids and servants at home usually did all the chores.


    ¡°Why are you not working?¡±  Lady Ana asked as she noticed my idleness.


    ¡°I cannot work with this.¡±  ¡°That is not an excuse for you not to work. Look around you.¡± I did just what she asked,  ¡°What do you see?¡±  ¡°I see hungry-lookingdies harvesting some rice.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Exactly. All thesedies you see were just like you. Most of them did not even know how to buckle their shoes when they first came here. But now look at them. They are doing just good.¡± With those words, she walked on supervising the rest of the girls.


    I went in front of a rice stack and took out the sickle. As I  wanted to take the seed out, the edge of the sickle went in through the flesh in my hand. The agonising pain surfaced as I stared at the sight of blood trickling down my hands.

 Chapter Fourteen: Ryan’s Chambers

    ¡°Fuck! Don¡¯t they have machines to do things here?¡±


    The pains weighed my hands as I groaned and my stomach rumbled from having to throw up all the half cooked food I was given.


    I threw the sickle down and headed out of the farm.


    ¡°ra, where are you going? This is a working session, you can¡¯t just leave the field like that.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry Lady Ana but I cannot continue this work. Look at my hand,¡± I showed her my bleeding finger, ¡°I could have lost a finger.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, ites with the job. With time, you will get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Well sorry, I do not want to get used to it. And I have been meaning to ask, why is everything so ancient around here? No cars, no trucks. The roads are filled with sand and dust. Seems I have gone back in time. I can¡¯t keep up with this, maybe I will be assigned to a more decent ce of work.¡±


    ¡°Come back to the farm!¡±


    I walked in quick steps into the house ignoring her words.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I called out furiously. Ana went ahead of me as she blocked me from going into his inner chamber.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I was surprised by my guts.


    ¡°He would rip your heart out or have your head on a stack.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I forged ahead, Ana pulled me again but this time, I faced her and pushed her against the wall.


    I found the door and pushed it open only to walk into an even stunning sight.


    The sweet smell of roses andvender oil filled the room as I forced myself in. Ryan had just taken off his robe and was set to take a deep bath, the bathtub was already prepared for him. He did not act surprised as he saw me and it was as though he had expected my presence.


    ¡°Oh, I was just about to soak myself in that steaming water,e join me.¡±


    Still stunned by his calmness, I hid my eyes away from him.


    ¡°What? You haven¡¯t seen a man without his clothes before?¡±


    He turned back to the bathtub and gently went into it, shutting his eyes. Lady Ana had regained consciousness and rushed into the inner chamber, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this sir. I will take her out of here.¡± She said immediately pulling me away.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Lady Ana, ra came here for something. Or did she not?¡± He faced me again. I still hid my eyes away from him.


    ¡°But sir, she hade in here unannounced and..¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed Ana, you can go.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay,¡± she eyed me at one glimpse and excused herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for badging you like this but I havee to tell you that I would not be working in that rice farm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, all this is about a farm? I thought you hade to share in my bath with me, I would have loved that even more than somein about a rice farm.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to share a bath with you.¡±


    ¡°But you had boldly walked into my inner chamber.¡±


    ¡°That thing you call a sickle had torn out my flesh.¡±


    ¡°My goodness! An injury on your first day,¡± he acted concerned.


    He walked out of the bathtub and water dripped down his skin. I took my eyes away again so he would put on his robe but he walked past it instead and headed towards me. I could not help but admire his perfectly built-up body, I would admit that he was hot and sexy. As he drew closer, I began to feel a certain pressure around her. One I had not felt for a person before. He made my heart beat faster and for once in a long while, my legs wobbled. He took up my hand and caressed the part at which I had injured and then he licked the blood out of it as I watched in awe.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡± I thought to myself after being dismissed as I walked back to my little room. Somehow, he was all I could think about as I retired to bed. He had not let me go back to the rice farm after I hadined about it. He had acted kind, putting my opinion first. Not the way that she had expected.


    Such strange behaviour from a ruthless man.


    I could still smell thevender oil around me as if I was still in his room and his lips on my bleeding finger. Sleep eluded my eyes as my mind wandered far and wide. I tossed and turned on the little bed waiting for the morning toe so I would see him again and apologise for walking into his room unannounced.


    What was this I was feeling? I thought. Whenever I tried to close her eyes to sleep he always somehow managed to get in my head again.


    ¡°Ryan, why can¡¯t I just get you off my head? Fucking bastard,¡± I muttered under my breath. Iid still facing the window and watched the wind nudge the curtain and slowly my eyelids feel close to sleep.


    It was a long cool night and I had the best sleep of my life. I hoped for a better day as well. Free from hectic and dust-free chores. I was not awakened by Lady Ana or any of the other ves and found it weird. As I opened the door, the sun rushed to my face and I inhaled the crisp air of a new day. I did not find the basket or sickle just as I had seen the previous day but rather a perfectly sealed envelope.


    ¡°What could this be?¡± I asked bending over to pick it up. In the envelope,y a small note as I opened it and read through the words:


    ¡°Morning beautiful, I hope you enjoyed your night. Today you will not be assigned to the rice farm but to somewhere rather special and reserved just for you. Enjoy!¡±


    I caught myself smiling as I read through the letter. It had the Alpha stamp on it and it was obvious that the letter hade directly from Ryan. In a minute, Lady Ana walked over with two other men who posed as the male servants. They looked vicious and had no smile on their lips. Ryan had stated clearly in the note that there was a ce made specially for me so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Lady Ana was apanied by them.


    ¡°Morning Lady Ana.¡±


    My mood was eloquent and cheerful.


    ¡°I see you got the Master¡¯s note.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was short and precise.¡±


    ¡°Okay,e with me, I¡¯ll take you to your ce of work.¡± As we walked along, we passed by the rice farm, the otherdies were still working on it even under the scorching sun and somehow I was grateful I had been posted somewhere else. We passed through other farms and even the stable which had mostly the male ves there.


    ¡°Where is this special ce of work? It seems we have been walking for hours, my leg aches.¡±


    ¡°Patience ra, we will be there shortly.¡± And just as Lady Ana had promised, we came to a halt in front of a pig farm. They wererge pigs rolling in the mud to cool off the heat, the snorts were loud and disturbing as I watched the pigs in disgust.

 Chapter Fifteen: The piggery

    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is the pig farm and the ce you have been assigned to work.¡±


    ¡°A pig farm?! This is even worse than the rice farm.¡±


    ¡°You could have just managed the rice farm. I warned you, ra. Nevertheless, you work till dusk. These men will be here to watch you. So don¡¯t try anything funny. And onest thing ra, I know the kind of women he likes and you are not one of them.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    My dress had pig dung and mud all over it. My feet felt sour as the rough and hectic day being with the pigs weighed heavily on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, dirty pigs.¡± I picked up the food and showed it to the pigs. They snorted and walked in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Eat this damn food you pigs! You should all be happy you are being fed by a kinddy like me. Look at me,¡± I swirled for the pigs to see my dress,  ¡°I¡¯m all dirty and smelly because of you pigs, I¡¯m going to rip your hearts out and eat some pork.¡± I giggled while eating the pig¡¯s food, ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m munching on your food.¡± The two men watched in awe as I disyed some form of insanity.¡±


    Few minutes after taking it all in, it all came rushing out which made me all pale and worn out.


    As dusks came, the men left the piggery without uttering a word to me and I got the signal that it was time to go. My stomach ached as I tried to move, I felt weak and weary and what I could only think of was my bed. I needed a good night¡¯s rest. Working at the rice farm would have been a better choice, I thought. At least I would have thepany of humans. Being at the piggery had been the worst experience ever since I became his ve. I had thought he might have been different but sending me to the piggery had shown he was just like the rest of them but even worse. As I arrived at my little room, I was thrown into confusion as I found the door locked.


    I had given up trying to break into the room. The other ves had refused to respond to my plea to spend the night in their space; they did not want to buy into my punishment. Perhaps they had heard what had urred in the Alpha¡¯s chamber and how I was given the piggery to work in as punishment. The night was cold, I rested my tired head on a t stone, which I found at the doorstep. I coiled at a corner using my hair as warmth for my arm. I could still hear the snorts from the gluttonous pigs as I closed my eyes to sleep. Fat brown pigs grunted as they rolled their round bodies in the mud.


    ¡°ra.¡± I heard a voice behind my ear and a gentle tap. I slowly opened my eyes to find Ryan looking back at me.


    ¡°Ryan?¡± My voice was weary and low but I could not keep my eyes open and I shut them again. Until I opened them again to find out that I was off the ground into his arms. With my weight on his arms, my head rested on his solid biceps. I felt them contract as he moved along opening my eyes again but only saw a blurry image of his gorgeousness. At that point, nothing mattered, only the fact that I was being saved.


    He sat at the edge of the bed as my head rested on hisp. He squeezed a piece of clothing from a bowl of water he had prepared and gently wiped dirt off my forehead. He ran his hand through my hair putting every loose strand in ce. I felt his hands on my lips caressing them slowly as he leaned forward for a kiss. I opened my eyes, retrieving his lips from his and stared at him without saying a word for a while.


    ¡°What are you doing? I can¡¯t be your sex ve,¡± I said weakly.


    The lights were dim so I could not tell where I was.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, you are fine and in my chambers.¡±


    ¡°In your chambers?¡± He ignored me and kept on wiping my face from the pig¡¯s dirt. I fell asleep again in his arms this time.


    The cool breeze of the morning nudged the piece of rag that hung over the small window in the room. The gentle air petted my skin, like a piece of soft cotton on a smooth surface. I slowly opened my eyes again but this time, I could not find the fancy yellow light bulbs that hung around the wall nor therge silk curtains. The room did not smell of caramel and tint of alcohol that had tickled the hairs in my nostrils. It was all in and smelled lightly of dust and old items of clothing. I jumped out of bed and looked around with my heart beating fast. At that moment, I had no idea where I was and how I had gotten there.


    But it all came rushing down to me again, the old walls with theirrge cracks, the half-decayed woods, and fur markings on the ceiling from hard water droplets. I was back in my room. I settled back on the edge of the bed pondering on what had happened with tons of questions running down my mind. I had seen his face, Ryan, he had been the one that had taken her off the ground but every other thing that happened was fuzzy.


    I was drawn from my train of thought just as I heard a hard knock on the door. It was Lady Ana, she had a basket with her.


    ¡°Morning Lady, these are the things you will be needing for the day. Remember not to eat the pigs¡¯ food this time.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ana,¡± I called out to her as she turned to leave.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    ¡°Not concerning the job though but I have something that¡­¡± I stuttered, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°Look ra, I do not have the luxury of time to spend at a ce. If you have a question you better ask it now.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm.. Never mind.¡± I said as I took the basket and shut the door behind her. I had just an hour to prepare before the men woulde and take me to the piggery.


    I was all set for the pigs as the men arrived to take me along. But as we went, we used a different route.


    ¡°I thought the piggery was that way?¡±


    I stood by the route as the men kept walking along.


    ¡°Hello? I am talking to you guys.¡± I called out but they kept moving without even saying a word. It was not long until I gave up and walked behind them until they stopped at a field.


    ¡°This is your station for today. You would work here until dusk just as you had done the piggery.¡± One of the guys said.

 Chapter Sixteen: Another hectic day

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me. A tomato farm?¡± I turned to leave but the guys held me and pulled me backwards.


    ¡°I can¡¯t work on this farm all alone. The sun is up and the day is still young. Ryan! I get it now!¡± I yelled even if I knew that Ryan was nowhere around the farm.


    ¡°I get it, I could have worked in the rice farm with the other ves. Is this why you punish me?¡± The men had no answer to my questions; they only ced me in the fields.


    ¡°Can I at least get water and some food? I would do well with those.¡±


    ¡°We are sorry, but the master has given a strict instruction not to give you food or water.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked in awe as their words struck me. His behaviour towards me was what I suddenly could not fathom, one minute he acted kind and loving and the next he acted without a heart toward me.


    It was clear that I would not be leaving the field until it was dusk.


    ¡°Ryan, you¡¯d pay for all that you have done to me.¡± I cursed as the sun weighed on me as I began to work.


    I slowly opened the door so that the creaks would not be heard, putting my head through, to take a clear look at my  surroundings.  The coast was clear, Lady Ana had retired for the day and so had the other men who were stationed to watch me all day. I stepped out, closing the door behind me as I walked into the main building hiding behind a wall as I waited until someone walked out of the door. Without further hesitation, I ran towards the door, smuggling myself through it as I headed up the stairs through the hallway and to Ryan¡¯s chamber.


    The door was not locked as I turned the knob.  ¡°Who do we have here?¡± Ryan saw me first as he was behind me.


    ¡°Ryan, master,  whatever you call yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am your master and you know that I can have your head on a tter if I want to.¡±


    ¡°I have note for you to tell me who you are.¡±


    ¡°Well, I like it when you call my name.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°That question is a little bit too vast.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. First you act kind to me and then you send me to work in the most tedious ce. I walk from dawn to dusk under the scorching sun in the presence of your guards. In thirst and hunger but they would not give me food to eat or water to drink because of your instructions. The other ves do not work the way that I do.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°The other ves do not make me feel the way that you do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Ryan? How do I make you feel?¡±


    He held his words as he said nothing more. Then moved to his drawer and retrieved a ss and a bottle of whiskey and poured himself some.


    I was thrown into confusion by his words. I thought he had sent me to do the tedious work because of the history with my parents and the fact that I had badged into his room on the day of his bath but I knew now that there was more to it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your silence. You have to tell me what I need to know.¡±


    Ryan said nothing but moved to the corner of his room and in an instant, the guards rushed in and dragged me out. My head ravaged in confusion even more than when I hadn¡¯t walked into his chambers.


    He had signalled the guards on me. I still wondered what I had done to him to warrant such treatment from him.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I struggled as the men held me firmly.


    ¡°I can walk to my room from here,¡± I uttered.


    But the men did not let my arm free, they pulled me off away from my room.


    ¡°Where are you guys taking me to? Please take me back to my room.¡±


    They headed to an underground cell. It had an opening made of metal that creaked loudly as they opened it. The hole was dark at night.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t put me in here.¡±


    I begged but the men were stronger, posing deaf ears and so they threw me into the hole.


    ¡°Get me out of here!¡± I cried but my plea all fell on deaf ears and they shut it close leaving me in darkness. It smelled of death and rotten flesh, I could not see a thing. I only heard the continuous sounds from the crickets. I stood up from the floor which I hadid and used my hands to trail my way to a wall.


    The walls had ridges and holes. I studied the walls with my hands feeling every crack and crevice and then it was time to climb. I had seen how the men had opened the metal cover with a little push, I would be able to get across. The holes were deep enough and so my feet could fit in them. I kept on climbing blindly, studying every part of the wall before I took a step.


    As I raised my hand above again, I touched the metal lid. It was time to push it open. I made a first attempt to push it open but the metal lid did not bulge. My hands were already weak and the air was going down. I made a second push and my left foot slipped from the crevice taking me fast to the ground. I fell hard with a crash on a stone as it all went nk.


    I woke up in his arms again, the warm arms that I thought had been Ryan¡¯s¡¯. The walls glittered with the yellow light. It was him, the strange guy who had suddenly be her saviour. As I tried to stand up, the searing pain in my head knocked me and as Iid back down. My eyes were partially shut and I could not see his face clearly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I  touched his face and he quickly took my hands off. He said nothing which only made him more mysterious.


    ¡°Why do you always save me? I want to know who you are. Are you Ryan? The so-called Alpha King? Or some stranger I do not know.¡± I tried to stand again but he made mey back on hisp. He had washed my face and hair and dressed my wounds and the pain had gradually reduced. He ced the cup in between my lips so I would drink from it and I did and even drank some more.


    ¡°Let me go, I can walk, I am strong enough.¡± I fought weakly but still could not move.


    ¡°What did you put in the drink, I feel¡­ I feel.¡± The impact of the drink overwhelmed me. He carried me in his arms and gently put me on a bed.


    The effects of the drink had finally subsided, as I began conscious. Opening my eyes to find them on the well-crafted ceiling before shifting out of bed.

 Chapter Seventeen: Finally awake!

    I surveyed my surroundings with a mere nce, taking in the familiar dim yellow light and sweet scent of caramel.


    Realising where I was, I sat upright and approached Ryan. A refreshing sensation always enveloped me whenever I was at his chamber, as if it were situated atop an ocean and the breeze only flowed towards that direction.


    ¡°I knew you were the one all along.¡± I got off the bed to find him sitting on the couch in his chambers.


    ¡°She is finally awake.¡± He said with a smile.


    ¡°But why? Why do you keep sending me to dreadful ces when you¡¯ll only end up saving me?¡±


    ¡°You would be hungry, so I saved some chicken and soup for you.¡± He ignored my questions and offered me a te of roasted garnished chicken. I could not refuse the offer, I had forgotten what a nice grilled chicken tasted like.


    The intricate blend of spices and herbs in the broth, coupled with a generous portion of chilli oil, delivered a fiery yet satisfying vour that danced on my taste buds. I savoured every bite of the Chicken soup, relishing in their delectable tang. Despite the intense heat, I couldn¡¯t help but feel ted by the explosion of vours. As I sipped from my ss of refreshing water to soothe my tingling tongue, I knew this was undoubtedly the best dish I had ever tasted.


    He watched as I relished each morsel before proffering another ss of water to me, which I promptly quaffed in its entirety.


    ¡°Hey, slow down,¡± he gently wiped away the food residue from the corners of my mouth. ¡°It has been months since I have enjoyed a meal this good. It tastes nice.¡±


    ¡°We have the best cook in town. There is more if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, this chunk is just fine for me.¡± I scraped off the entire flesh and left the bones on the te.


    ¡°You seem nice at night but in the daytime, you are just a different being and it gets me worried every time.¡±


    ¡°I am still the same every time of the day.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt that. Who knows, you might have added something to the meal. I would wake up and find myself in my little room awaiting Lady Ana and the guards to take me to another dreadful site to work. But I wouldn¡¯t want to put you through all the stress of doing that. So I¡¯d like to take my leave now.¡±


    I made to move and my dress got whacked by a protruding nail from the chair which ripped it out.


    ¡°Oh my God! ¡± I held my torn dress looking at it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Why would you even have a bad chair in your chambers?¡±


    My chest boiled as I watched the ripped edges of my dress. The only good dress I loved wearing from the pile of raggedy dresses Lady Ana had given me.


    For the first time in a long while, I was sent to work with other ves.


    ¡°Hey, guys.¡± A smile grew on my lips as I saw other faces, I could not hold the joy. But the other ves did not buy my happiness; they only took a nce at me as they resumed their work.


    The sickle still felt strange in my hands as I held it but every other work was better than working at the piggery.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you but I cannot use this tool, can you show me a few things?¡±


    I walked up to one of the girls who worked beside me all along.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She was surprisingly nice unlike other girls I had walked up to for help.


    ¡°You take up the stalk, ce your sickle here, and make sure you have it at this angle.¡± She picked up the stem, positioned her sickle in this manner, and demonstrated while I observed.


    ¡°Take care not to damage the fresh buds. Perfect, that¡¯s it,¡± she disyed the newly collected seeds. And I noticed an umon tattoo on her arm.


    ¡°Nice tattoo.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Thank you; I have one on my back as well.¡±


    She lifted her dress, revealing a replica of the design at her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m Beth, one of the neers.¡±


    ¡°ra.¡±


    ¡°Are you also among our new arrivals?¡± ¡°No, I am not.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen you around our rice ntation before.¡±


    ¡°I work at other stations.¡±


    ¡°Oh great, I hope it¡¯s not more tedious than it is here. I hear that one of the ves was sent to work at the piggery. They said she had walked in on the alpha on the day of his bath. She deserved more if you ask me.¡±


    I swallowed my words.


    ¡°Why do you think she deserved worse? You never know what could have made her do that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s no business of mine.¡±


    I noticed her eyes trail done to my stomach as It protruded from my dress. It had been three months now and most people had begun to notice as my belly grew.


    ¡°You are with child.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But how¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡±


    It was time for the day¡¯s job again. I set out like the rest of the ves settling behind Beth but this time, it was more like a meeting with Lady Ana.


    ¡°Hey Beth, what¡¯s going on here? I thought we would be working at the rice farm today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought so too. But here we are.¡± Lady Ana walked up in front of thedies with the men beside her.


    ¡°I just want to inform you ves that you will not be working on the farm for this week. We have new vesing in and so they would be the ones talking up the farm work. You all will be assigned to the different parts of the house that you would work in. And as you go into work,¡± She paused and watched me as if the message was only for me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything that would bring you back to the farm because you would be gravely punished for it.¡±


    ¡°Is it just me or is thedy staring directly at you?¡± Beth noticed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m wondering myself, thisdy just has a thing for me ever since I was brought in here.¡±


    ¡°How were you captured?¡±


    ¡°It is quite a tale,¡± I began, ¡°I don¡¯t like talking about it.¡±


    However, in order to establish trust with the person I was speaking to, I feltpelled to divulge some details.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe to say that anyone¡¯s capture would make for an epic story, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± came the response. ¡°Tell me more about your experience.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was more of an adventure than anything else. I was taken in exchange for my parents¡¯ life.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you resist?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Everyone line up single file!¡± Lady Ana instructed sternly once we arrived at the destination and handed each ve a basket containing their tools and clothing along with notes detailing their assigned location.


    ¡°Dungeon?!¡± I eximed upon reading mine aloud.


    ¡°I got the winery!¡± Beth announced triumphantly as she approached brandishing her own note like a badge of honour.


    ¡°Lady Ana clearly has great affection for me ¨C imagine getting assigned somewhere so decadent!¡±


    ¡°The dungeon isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Beth said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied diplomatically despite feeling somewhat apprehensive about whaty ahead.

 Chapter Eighteen: It’s Dark in here

    I followed behind as the guards led us into the dungeon. The dungeon was dimly lit with the aid of the blow torch that was positioned scantily at corners. The heavy air with the stench of dampness and despair rushed into my lungs as we went on. The ceiling hung low, embellished with jagged rocks, as if mocking our plight. It was like an area of perpetual doom, the vicinity of time ceased to exist, and hope was a fading memory. I trudged through the dusty path, bowing my head, my back aching from the previous day¡¯s gruellingbour and the growing weight in my womb.


    I held my hand throughout the wall as it became steeper, the bugs of the darkness crept slowly as if they watched my every movement. I knew that Lady Ana was at it again, putting me in the dungeon. She would in no way wish to see me work in the building again.


    Maybe she had a thing for Ryan.


    Being surrounded by a sea of fellow ves only made it a plight. Their eyes haunted, their spirits crushed. Together, we shuffled in the back of the guards who confirmed no mercy, their cold expressions reflecting the darkness of their hearts. I moved with warning as every step pressed the difference as the guards led the procession to the internal path of the dungeon, a beacon of power and opulence that contrasted starkly against the misery of those who toiled below its shadow.


    ¡°We are here!¡± The first guard barked, his voice running free through the walls as it echoed, weighing down with aggression and contempt. We were at the part of the dungeon that was regarded as a long-abandoned cave. Gloomy corners with different insects lurking in the crevice. Although it worried me that I would be spending the best part of my day there; an area where the location of hopes and dreams had been overwhelmed and the remnants of a shattered dream buried below the ce we stood.


    A cold shiver ran down my backbone as I walked my eyes around. The other ves moved in unison, their bodies sore and worn by the use of limitless hours till they came to an entire halt.


    ¡°This is where you would begin the day¡¯s work. It¡¯s simple, pick the rocks you find, put them right here in the basket and send them out to the fields. This will be your workstation until there is no one rock left here. These men would watch you, as you can see, they are utterly armed and knowledgeable to kill on sight. My candid advice is now not to try anything funny or it would be your end.¡± He concluded as he set to leave.


    With the broken shovels and tattered rags, we embarked on our agonising mission of picking rocks and clearing the dungeon of every debris we discovered lurking around.


    I began just as the other ves, taking up the rocks into a basket that was given to us. In a bit, my first basket had been filled with rocks. I took it out through the same route that I had followed in.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Who do we have here?¡± One of the guards asked as I passed by.


    I kept a straight face as I avoided the gaze of everyone I came across. Soon, I was out to the field where I emptied the first basket of rocks and then back into the dungeon again. As I worked, I looked around trying to find meaning in the bleakness that engulfed me. I waddled to a corner after what could be the fifth time of the to and fro movement. I wanted nothing more than to rest my aching feet.  Earlier that morning,  I had awoken with a slight pain etched below my belly. I knew the stress had begun to show on me but I had no choice but to keep up with my duties. The pain underneath my abdomen grew, there, I moved my hands on the wall, looking above my shoulders not to be seen by any of the guards.


    A sigh of relief escaped my lips as soon as I rxed on a rock by the wall. Just as I got acquainted with my new position, I caught a shadowing towards me. My heart thumped as I tried to move away but the guard walked up to me as he noticed my idleness for a bit.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I had assumed my working position- bending over a pile of rocks as I picked them into my basket. I did not respond but kept picking the rocks.


    ¡°You should be working with the others.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I prefer working alone, it makes me work faster,¡± I replied coldly as I kept on with the rocks.  ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He said and walked past me.


    In a short while,  I heard the ng of the metal te together and the ves assembled. The guard had called for another meeting. I could not tell if it was still day, as the gloominess of the cave made it nearly impossible to detect the time.


    ¡°You would be taking a short break, bread and water would be passed around. Do well to make good use of the opportunity.¡±


    Working at the dungeon wasn¡¯t so bad, at least we were fed in between our work, unlike other stations where they worked all day without having to take in a drop of water.


    ¡°Have it.¡±


    One of the guards passed by handing me a loaf of bread and some stew just like the rest of the people that sat beside me. Even as my stomach rumbled from having nothing to eat all morning, the stench of the moulds of the bread and the face of the red stew only made me sick as pulsating odour ran freely unto my nostrils causing every vomiting hormone to pop up.


    ¡°Would you eat that?¡± Thedy beside me asked as she noticed the untouched meal.  In just one bite she had savoured every morsel of the bread dipped in the stale looking stew and her eyes went with the contents in my hand that she needed more.


    ¡°You can have it,¡± I said, handing it over to her.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± She asked, watching my belly as I hid it underneath my dress.


    ¡°Yes, I am.  It makes me want to throw up anyway.¡±


    ¡°But you need it more than I do.  I mean,  you are with a child , would you not be harmed for starving the foetus in your womb?¡±


    ¡°I think the baby would be fine without this meal although I would do well with a freshly cooked meal.¡±


    ¡°Such meals are made only for the high ranked. We only get the scraps and leftovers like the kitchen rat. That¡¯s what we are anyway.¡±


    ¡°I would die throwing up if I eat this.¡±


    ¡°I understand. But if you really do need a freshly cooked meal then you would have to go get it yourself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked leaning forward keen to hear what she had to say to save myself from the ws of hunger and starvation.


    ¡°I hear that some ves sneak out food from the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible? I hear that there are guards mounting that ce.¡±


    ¡°You heard right but there is still a way to get passed without notifying any of the guards.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I was told that there are secret passages in the building but first you will need to get the key to a lock you would get to before the kitchen.  And one is even in this dungeon around the entrance of the dungeon there is a secret opening within one of these walls that leads directly to the kitchen. The inner part of the kitchen away from the guards and most of the cooks. You would arrive at the ce where most of the meals are kept. But you need to do a few things.  Try not to be greedy and remember not to eat while you are still there or the risk of getting caught would be high.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I get caught?¡±

 Chapter Nineteen: The Plan

    ¡°Bad things happen.¡±


    ¡°How bad?¡±


    ¡°Very bad. Once, I heard ady was caught stealing food that was meant for the alpha king because she was too greedy and had a rather too full bag.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°We never heard from her again. Some said she was sent away.  But we all know the truth. The Alpha King is ruthless and merciless and he does not condone stealing.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,  I have learnt to manage whatever food I am given. I might be a ve but I still want to live. Maybe I will see my family again someday if I am ever set free.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had any food to eat in two days. With the level of the tedious work we do here.  I don¡¯t know if I will be able to survive till tomorrow without proper food.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°I would have to go up to the kitchen.  If there is a passage in the dungeon as you imed,  then I would have to find it and leave to the kitchen before anyone notices I am gone.  I am not greedy,  I just want to feed myself and what¡¯s growing in me,  so we don¡¯t have to starve.¡±


    ¡°But that is risky especially for someone in your condition.¡±


    ¡°I have no condition. Look, if I don¡¯t get that food I would not survive for another day¡¯s job so either way I would be dead. I need this.  I feel happy that you would share this with me, I was just nning on what nuts to eat. At least it would be better than whatever meal that was served here. All I need you to do for me is to help me find that wall.¡±


    ¡°What about the key, how would you get it? It never leaves the head guard¡¯s sight.¡±


    ¡°Leave that for me. Just show me this wall and I would do the rest.  Hopefully,  I will sleep a happy woman tonight filled with good food.¡±


    Just as the other vedy had promised, she pointed towards an area as we moved away from the rest for the ves avoiding the attention of the guards that stood around.


    ¡°That should be it. Like I said earlier, they are just rumours that I have heard. I don¡¯t know how true but I have seen the evidence. Just be careful and avoid being caught. And if for any reason you are caught please do not mention me.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon I get that.  I am not a snitch, this is all me. Thank you.¡±


    As soon as she departed,  I knew I needed to get that key somehow. There was no way I would get close to the head guard without putting out a drama. I moved past the guards that were in between  their little chit-chat.


    ¡°Hey, where do you think you are heading to?¡± I heard the voice of one of the guards as I passed by just as I had predicted. I ignored his words and  moved forward.


    ¡°You will not ignore me or you will be punished.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry but I really need to use the restroom. The little human in me seems to be a little bigger now pressing down my dder every time.¡±


    I headed towards the exit not heeding to their words as usual, a wave of tranquillity covered the space. I only heard my footsteps at first and then the thumping from behind which was the unmistakable rhythm of approaching footsteps. A thrill of uneasiness tightened its hold down my throat which urged me to quicken my pace.


    Suddenly halting, I clutched my abdomen, a sudden ripple of difort coursing through me. Snorts involuntarily fled my lips as the pain intensified, turning every step into a struggle.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± I heard one of the guards say.


    At first it was all an act but then, it was as though the world around me blurred as I wrestled with the pulsing hurt.


    ¡°Help! ¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    I let myself fall to the ground as they approached me trying to take me up,  Just then I sighted the swinging key from the edge of his pants.


    ¡°It hurts,  it hurts so much,¡± I grunted but even with the act,  I did not let the keys out of my sight.  Then just like any trickster act I grabbed his arms firmly as my other hand located the keys snatching it before he would notice that it was gone. I sneaked it underneath my dress before finally stopping the act of being in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked as though he cared.


    ¡°Yes, I think I am.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go use the restroom now.¡±


    ¡°No, I will pass.¡±


    ¡°But earlier you mentioned that¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what I said but I think it has subsided. Ites with the pregnancy, of course you will not understand that.¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will join the rest now.¡±


    As soon as I walked past them, I took out one of every key that came in twos and threw the rest by the rock before he would notice that it was gone.


    I sneaked out from the rest of the ves through a patch in the wall that was nearly invisible to everyone. It would have been to me if I had not been pre-informed about it. I carefully searched through the wall with my hands until I finally found it. I took to my heels, the mealtime would onlyst for a few more minutes and I needed not be absent when it was time for the head count.


    A few seconds in, I came in contact with the metal door, there, I brought out the keys and tried a few of them before finally getting the one that fit, as it unlocked the door. I made sure to avoid bumping into the maids and guards as I fled the stairs going towards the kitchen.


    I found the other ves stationed at the kitchen scrubbing the floor but I avoided everyone and went inside to where the foods were ced just like the other ve at the dungeon had said.  The food was perfectly arranged in dishes and trays,  bowls awaiting to be served. I went close, staring keenly at it with every passing minute as the risk increased. The sweet smelling aroma of the food came rushing down into my nostrils and then my stomach began to rumble again.  I knew I needed every morsel of whaty in the bowls.


    Oh fuck it.


    I still didn¡¯t know why the hesitation but in a bit I took down a tray and bent over taking every chunk down my throat as I relished on the savouring taste from the meatballs to the pasta and then the instinct came.  The tasty and sweet vour of the pasta danced on my tongue, courtesy of the perfect mixture of spices and herbs infused into the broth. The rich kick of chilli oil raised the experience, leaving my taste buds in a state of ted delight. Undoubtedly, it stood out as the most exquisite culinary encounter I had ever tasted.


    The rich mixture of spices not only created a heat that ignited my tongue but also dropped a depth of vour that glued, tantalising my tongue. Each mouthful unfolded like a symphony of tastes, making it worth the risk.


    The intenseness of the heat built gradually, transformed each bite into an adventure. I found myself reaching for the ss of refreshing water every minute, it was like a kind of ritual to pacify the delightful heat that ignited my taste buds. The subtle taste of the broth and that of the chilli oil melded seamlessly, creating a kind of bnce of heat and vour.

 Chapter Twenty: Who is in there?

    The feeling came, the one the other ve in the dungeon had talked about. The instinct to take some with me rose. I had be greedy. I was quick to find a bag as I began taking in the food as much as I could. I knew now that the little lunch time was up and they would probably be looking out for me now but at that point, I didn¡¯t care. All I wanted was to fill the bag then every other thing woulde next. Somehow I have found a way to deal and cope with the harshness I had been faced with.


    Just then as I turned to leave I heard the creak from the door, I snuck underneath the workable but was not fast enough to carry the sack of food along with me.


    I only heard footsteps walking around. It seemed to be multiple footsteps as my heart rose. The thought of what Ryan would do to me when he finds out about it only made my heart beat even faster causing sweat to drop from my forehead. I held my lips to avoid any audible breath escaping from it.


    ¡°There is no one here.¡±


    No one said a word for a while and then I heard footsteps approaching the workable taking up the sack of food behind the workable where I hid. My hands began to tremble and tears hid behind the sides of my eyes but for every reason I knew I had to remain silent.


    ¡°There is definitely someone here. A petty food thief.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The voice was familiar, the same voice that had been my tormentor ever since I had arrived in that part of the world.  The same voice I heard in my sleep whenever I tried to close my eyes to sleep. The one that was the church bell that tolled incessantly pping the peace that sleep brings away, reminding me of all my worries and pain.


    ¡°The person might have heard using and had taken another route of escape.¡±


    ¡°Find whoever did this!  I don¡¯t condone thieves here.¡±


    His voice sounded like a roar.


    In a short while two people walked out leaving just Ryan for a while until I saw him walk out just like the others. The tension suddenly evaporated and I was able to breathe again. I hurried out from the work table. Just as I dashed out I met him right there smiling back at me with the guards and the ve that had told me about the food. It was ring now what it was but what I was not sure of was who would want to set up a ve like me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt it when I was told that you had gone rogue.¡±


    ¡°Gone rogue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, only one who has gone rogue would want to steal from me.¡±


    ¡°What would you have me do?¡±


    ¡°I give direct orders to serve food to the ves twice a day.  Tell me,  which master would give his ve that much food? But you still weren¡¯t satisfied and had the mind to want to steal my food.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t patronise yourself.  You give rat food to us, you have stolen their freedom away from them and you seem to be generous?¡±


    ¡°You are a thief and you would face the consequence of stealing from me like everyone else would.¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to justify my actions but I needed food to help myself and my child. Well, I guess you would not understand,  you probably haven¡¯t had a child before and I don¡¯t think you would.  You are so ruthless to have anyone call you father. I don¡¯t think any woman would willingly want toy with someone like you.  How many people do you know?  You im to be strong and powerful but a ve girl sneaked into your heavily guarded kitchen to refill her stomach.  If not for a little snitch standing beside you, perhaps I would have gotten away with my sack of food.  Or don¡¯t you think so?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°You are on the floor to be dragged away and you still have the guts to talk back to me. You do not care that I can have you killed?¡±


    ¡°If you wanted me dead,  you would have killed me a long time ago. But something tells me that you don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°You speak rubbish. You are just a crazy desperate bitch. Seize her! Take her to the darkest room and make sure she doesn¡¯t see the lights again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing you can do. Order your guards around. If you are so strong and powerful why don¡¯t you do it all yourself?¡±


    I asked as the first guard grabbed me pulling me out towards a direction I had never been before.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I struggled but their grip was firm on my arms as they pulled me away.


    Iid still on the bare ground with my eyes shut, my breathing had be stable and the tranquilliser had finally worn offpletely. Gradually, I opened my eyes and looked ahead although I could not see anything. The room was like a ck box with no trail of light. I felt blind as if the walls coulde crashing down on me. The pains underneath my abdomen had be intensified as I held my hands over it slowly moved my palms to reduce the growing pains.


    Nothing seemed right with me as I struggled to get off the ground but only ended up crashing back down on the ground. I needed a ray of light to rest my eyes on.  The void was suddenly beginning to mess with my head as figures appeared within the gloomy rooms.  . There wasn¡¯t any visible arch or corners as the darkness of the room made it impossible to find anything, not even the walls. My hands hauled along the ground, fingertips carefully searching for the wall until they hit upon the rugged exterior of the surface.


    The rough edges met my touch, guiding me towards the dimly lit area.  The cool, unyielding surface beneath my fingertips became a source of ease in the darkness that connected me  to my surroundings. I kept moving my hands, trailing them on.


    The door had a little open patch on it where the tiny ray of light oozed from outside. In this process, I positioned myself as I searched through the door for any opening.  It was an old and worn out door, there must be a crack somewhere. And just as I predicted, I found it. I peeked  through a thin gap with one eye, my senses became more sensitive as I surveyed the surroundings. The atmosphere hung with a kind of pressure, and I could almost feel the weight of the moment.


    I counted every footsteps that passed and how long it took for another footstep to pass by. Each thumping footsteps signified the guess which was my utmost concern. It demanded my undivided attention as I leaned closely.

 Chapter Twenty- One: The Dark Room

    The rhythmic thud of uniformed boots indicated the presence of guards, their obvious strides reflecting authority. On the other hand, the non-guards put on a disy of stylish leather shoes, each step resonating with a distinctive rhythm. Some wore flowing robes that hid their footwear, adding an additionalyer of mystery to their identity.


    As I awaited the night, I positioned myself on the floor. I knew just what happens at such times of the day. Most of the ves that worked in the building as maids are ordered to give food to certain prisoners or people like me who are locked against their will in a dark room. As the brisk evening settled, I rxed, my eyes tightly shut, creating the delusion that I was still under the influence of the tranquilliser.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    In the dimming dusk, I still acted as though I was overwhelmed with the wavering tiredness. The calmness of the room masked the surge of tension that passed  through me. I listened carefully, adjusting to the subtle voices that pointed to the approaching footsteps, an indication that dinner was on its way.


    My body stayed motionless as I tried to control my already thumping heartbeat. I watched the silhouettes of the floor beneath the door which only showed that time was near. As Iy in obvious stillness, it was as though time became longer and the anxiety of uncertainty grew even with the hushed air.


    The door creaked open, and so did the hinges betraying the entrance of the maid and the light rushed in. Through my closed eyelids, I sensed her presence, navigating the room with the usual rhythm of routine. The aroma of dinner wafted in, it was the usual stew and bread slices but this smell was more on the good side.


    I remained still, and listened to the maid¡¯s movements, gauging the closeness of the tray with food. As she approached, I still maintained my stillness as if still induced by the tranquilliser although I had begun to move my limbs a bit,  little tweaks from my fingers and my head.


    Everything reached its peak as the maid, unaware of my n, set the tray beside me. The room still maintained its calmness concealing the fact that beneath my closed eyelids and a seemingly motionless body, I was very much awake.


    ¡°Please, put it closer,¡± I implored, my once authoritative voice now transformed into a weary, thin whisper. Thirst and hunger clung to me, a temptation I didn¡¯t want at the moment. Even though the weight of holding up this child had drained every ounce of strength from me. The misery in my plea echoed out through my tiredness.


    In the dim light, my weakened voice held up the weight of genuine need. The plea was not just for food because I knew I needed to be free. The oncemanding tone was now low and soothing, a reminder of what I endured at least that was what I made her think.


    I observed a slight change in her behaviour, from an unconcern attitude to a tinge of sympathy. Initially, her eyes reflected the suspicion I had grown used to-believing, perhaps, that my plea was just another prank. The familiar sting of mean-spirited unconcern wavered in the air, cing  her with the rest who hade before her.


    However, as we spoke, our interaction took a change. It was as if a current of understanding wafted through her, slowly loosening up the edges of her initial mistrust. Her gaze, once cruel and solitary, now carried a bit ofpassion.


    In a surprising turn, she reached for the tray that had been set at a distance, still ignoring it as part of a prank. As she carefully brought the tray closer, her actions spoke louder. In a sudden wave of wakefulness, I took into action, seizing the drawstring from her dress. I steered her to the ground, the fabric sliding through my fingers. The drawstring became a makeshift rope as I secured it around her neck, ensuring that she could not move as I tied her hands.


    A certain decision got a hold of me as I swiftly moved to the next step. The belt that she knotted around her dress became a tool of restraint, now binding her hands and feet together firmly.


    After I was sure that I had carefully restrained her, I took another practical step. She still had her loud grunts as she pleaded for help, so I hastily put a gag over her lips, ensuring that no words would escape from her lips to disrupt the silence in the room.


    After securing her down there,  quiet and maimed, I positioned myself by the door, my senses moved to the passing seconds. Time became both an ally and a foe as I waited.  Listening to every footstep that passed by.


    The weight of what I should do as I thought about it  pressed upon me as I kept a vignt watch. I needed to be quick and very much careful as to what I needed to do,  I couldn¡¯t risk getting caught again not after what had happened earlier. This time, I had no idea what the consequences would do to me. With the moving time, the suspense in the room intensified, pointing at the haste of what I needed to do.


    I took the keys away from her as she only watched me muffling her screams that couldn¡¯t even get past the door. The sound of the lock echoed an instant of decision as I turned it, sealing the maid in the dark room. The air hung heavy with the understanding that time was of the essence.


    As the door closed behind me, I stepped into the dimly lit corridor with willful strides. The creaking floor beneath me went unnoticed, drowned out as time went by.


    I walked through a path I had no idea about, navigating the shadows with the confidence of someone who understood every inch of where I was headed.


    The hallway stretched out before me, its dimly lit spectrum echoing with the muffled sounds of distant activity. My heart hastened as I spotted a group of guards heading in my direction. Reacting swiftly, I turned into a small room adjacent to the hallway, the door closing behind me with a soft click. In that confined space, I pressed my hands over my mouth, suppressing any clue of breath that might betray my presence.


    The room covered me in momentary aloneness as I waited in suspense. The sound of their approaching footsteps rumbled through the closed door, each one marking the nearness of potential danger. Holding my breath, I watched the shadows of their feet pass by the room. The seconds dragged on, the hushed tension amplifying the seriousness of the situation.


    After what felt like an eternity, I peeked through the crack in the door. The guards had moved on, their looming figures now mere echoes in the hallway. Satisfied that the coast was clear, I continued my journey, cautiously stepping into the corridor once more.  As I navigated the  passageways, a sudden realisation struck me-a guard emerged from behind. Panic flowed through my veins. I pulled my hoodie over my head, covering my face in an attempt to shield my identity. My steps quickened as I headed down the hallway.

 Chapter Twenty- Two: An Escape

    The  wrench of the hallway became a silent battleground as I sought to escape the capture. The throbbing of my surroundings sped, mirroring the worried rhythm of my own heartbeat. The guard, now alerted to my presence, loomed behind, and with each step, the stakes increased.


    In that moment, the hallway transformed into a theatre of evasion, shadows and echoes conspiring to dictate the oue. As I moved forward, surrounded in the obscurity of my makeshift disguise, the hallway echoed with the unspoken tension of a cat-and-mouse game yed in the hushed corridors of secrecy.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    His distant voice made me stop, but I still did not look back.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No one is allowed through this part,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°I was sent to the winery but lost my way. I was just going back to my duty post,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Let me see your face,¡± he demanded, but I ignored him and continued moving instead tension grew within me.


    ¡°Hey! Stop there. Do not move an inch or you would be penalised,¡± echoed the guard¡¯s voice. Undeterred, I sprinted down the stairs and found refuge in an empty warehouse. When the guards arrived, I eluded them and sneaked into the stable.


    There, I encountered a terrified stable boy. Sensing his ignorance of the situation, I decided to pretend innocence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there,¡± I said, noting the fear in his voice. Despite my surprise at my own words, I didn¡¯t want to scare him away and risk exposing my location or the help I would be offered.


    That¡¯s alright,¡± I assured him, concealing my true intentions. As I assessed the horses, I inquired about the fastest one. The stable boy pointed to a weary-looking horse. Meanwhile, I observed the outside world through the stable windows, aware of the guards closing in.


    ¡°These horses look weak, do you not feed them well?¡± I questioned, maintaining my facade. The stable boy insisted they were well-fed. As three other men entered with hay and water, my suspicion grew. Requesting the fastest horse, I received a consistent answer from the stable boy, but the men¡¯s behaviour hinted at an underlying understanding.


    A distant galloping signalled the guards approaching. Panicking, I used the stable boy and the men of betrayal. ¡°You led them to me, you fool!¡± I shouted, vowing revenge. The unfolding situation demanded swift action to escape the impending threat.


    Tight ropes embraced my wrists as soon as I was caught. Confining the echoes of revolt that whispered through my veins. A rough gag choked my voice, trapping words unsaid in the cavern of my mouth. The world churned into a distorted sight, each step forward a relentless pull into the deep.


    As the guards, faceless in their cruelness, yanked me into the shadows, I stole a nce at Ryan. His eyes mirrored a storm of emotions, a tempest of rage and helplessness.


    ¡°You are strong and smart. Even in your current state. Managing to snatch the key from the maid and outsmart the guards to some extent ismendable. I¡¯ll give you that. However, your constant bad behaviour has earned you the tag of an annoyingdy who must be tied up and confined.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to get out of this horrible ce.¡±


    ¡°But a deal is a deal. Your life for your parents¡¯, and yet you attempted to breach it? You were plotting an escape?¡±


    ¡°I was only attempting to do what any rational person would have done long ago, ¡± I replied.


    ¡°Your stubbornness has proven to be beyond the understanding and control of both the guards and the head maid. Take her to my chambers, and this time, chain her to the bunk, I will make sure you don¡¯t catch a glimpse of what the sky looks like ever again¡± hemanded.


    ¡­


    ¡°May I have some water?¡± I finally managed to utter my first words afternguishing for what felt like hours, confined to the bunk of Ryan¡¯s bed in a humiliating predicament. Ryan, seated beside the bed, remained silent, engrossed in sorting through a stack of files. My throat, parched and scratchy, urged me to plead further.


    ¡°Please,¡± I echoed, desperately seeking relief. Despite my plea, Ryan continued his silence, only stirring from his seat after my persistent request. He ambled towards a nearby drawer, retrieving a roll of duct tape.


    Curiosity mingled with anxiety as I observed his actions.


    ¡°What are you nning to do with that?¡± I asked as he approached me. But Ryan did not respond, he brought the tape closer to my lips.


    ¡°Take that away from me,¡± I struggled as I attempted to resist, realising my efforts would likely prove futile, I stopped.


    The room¡¯s atmosphere was heavy with tension as Ryan ced the tape over my mouth, sealing off any chance of speaking. My plea for water was met with an unsettling silence.


    The hours dragged on, marked only by the muffled sounds of Ryan shuffling papers and asionally ncing my way. With each passing moment, I was met with an intensifying difort, both physically and mentally. I yearned for an exnation, for some semnce ofmunication from him.


    Ryan¡¯s behaviour offered no clues. He continued with his tasks, clearly not bothered by my plight. The room, once a familiar space, now felt like a confining cell. Theck ofmunication fueled my anxiety, heightening the feeling of vulnerability.


    Despite the difort, my mind raced through possible ways for an escape. The constrained surroundings forced me to think creatively, exploring any potential weaknesses in Ryan¡¯s actions. I observed every detail, hoping to uncover any way  that could lead to freedom. As I stayed tied up to the bunk, the only sce was the flicker of hope that came in between my thoughts that, perhaps, maybe someday,  he woulde to set me free.


    As the evening came swiftly, Ryan walked up to me, with a tray that contained my meal. It was the only time I was freed from the shackles and constraints that bound me together.  ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to say after a while of not being able to speak. However, true to his silence which I was now used to, he uttered nothing in response, only returning to his study table.


    Without any further approval needed from Ryan who had retired to his study, I eagerly went deep into the meal that sat in front of me. It was as though I hadn¡¯t eaten for a very long time, and in a way, that was so. The vours and textures of the food weed my tongue, awakening my tastebuds once again. I enjoyed each morsel that I took in, savouring the sweet taste of the good meal that I had missed.


    Amidst my frill, I did not  notice Ryan¡¯s watchful gaze. His eyes followed my every move as I enjoyed the meal, a silent observer to my meal. I reached for the first ss of water, eagerly letting it quench my thirsty throat.

 Chapter Twenty- Three: Beside the Bunk

    Caught up in having every bit of the food down my throat, I did not pause before reaching for a second ss of water. But surprisingly, as I turned, I realised the ss was empty. I nced towards the study table there. I caught Ryan¡¯s eyes briefly, but he quickly turned his gaze back to the papers on his study table.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    The constant clings of my silverware against the dish filled the room and for once, I did not mind.


    At that moment, as I ate up the carefully prepared meal, questions lingered in my mind. I yearned for answers as to what he intended to achieve by keeping me locked up in his chamber all day? He should just let me leave and maybe I would find a path through the woods that would lead me to my parents.  But Ryan¡¯s stubbornness had grown beyond and his words were firm and not minced as to what he wanted.


    The once tastiness of the meal became entwined with the bitter aftertaste of uncertainty.


    The seconds ticked away, echoing in the stillness of the room. The meal, initially a source of sce, transformed into a reminder of my predicament. Thest morsel lingered on the te, which was now like a symbol of the unanswered questions that hung in the air.


    As I set the empty te aside, the reality of my situation pressed heavily upon me. The room returned to its depressing silence. The nature of the  evening routine reinforced the redundancy of my existence, increasing the sense of captivity that loomed over me.  The night approached, and I was once again left to the confines of the dark room, the taste of the meal fading into memory. The unanswered questions lingered, creating a haunting backdrop to the solitude that enveloped me. The shackles, both physical and metaphorical, bound me to the uncertainty of whaty ahead in this mysterious and silent captivity.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I heard his voice beside me. As I turned to find him standing beside me with his arms outstretched towards me. Unexpectedly, he extended a second ss of water, catching me off guard. I had given up on getting another ss of drink for one night. I grabbed the cup swiftly and consumed the entire contents, wary that his generosity might be fleeting.


    ¡°Hey, slow down,¡± he urged, gently wiping away lingering food residue from the corners of my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been months since I¡¯ve relished a meal this satisfying. It tastes fantastic.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the best cook in town. There¡¯s more if you want,¡± he offered, a hint of hospitality in his tone.


    ¡°No, this chunk is just fine for me.¡± I scraped off the entire flesh and left the bones on the te, thest piece I had kept on the te all evening.


    Soon he arrived back at his study table and  returned back to my position lying chained to the bunk of the bed.


    ¡°Thank you so much for the meal, and for the second ss of water,¡± I echoed. But as usual he said nothing, the lights were too dim and a bit distant from me so I could not see his face to catch the expressions that had crept over it.


    Even with the freezing sensation I got from lying bare on the ground,  I still found it warm that Ryan had offered me food and an extra ss of water. Iy still watching in the dim lights with the rustle of old books as the only sound in the room and then slowly,  my eyelids feel heavy as they drifted off to sleep.


    ¡­


    My weary eyes caught the warm rays as I opened them to catch the sun streaming through the window. Covered in the warmth of a soft nket up to my chest which exined the reason why I had not shivered in the coolness of the bare ground.


    Who was so kind enough to have thrown me a nket?


    Thoughts had begun to troop in as I walked out from where Iid, the chains fell from my wrist. Someone had truly been kind enough to want my freedom, I thought. I could not find him behind the study table as I hadst seen him before I retired to sleep. I jerked as the chamber doors swung open anddy Ana walked in apanied by other ves who had buckets of water and brushes.


    ¡°Keep it over there,¡± she instructed. And the maids did as they had been told. I stood with my hands behind my back without a word as I watched them assemble the cleaning tools just in front of me. I did not need a seer to tell me what would happen next.


    ¡°You guys are dismissed,¡± she instructed the girls as they walked out of the room. I did not wait to be instructed as I got a hold of the bucket and the brush.


    ¡°ra,¡± she called out to me and I turned towards her with a surprising stare.


    ¡°Yes,dy Ana,¡± I replied, awaiting a further instruction which did note forth as soon as I had expected. Instead, she began her slow walk moving around me as if reading my thoughts from every inch of my body. I had always known that there was something awfully weird about her but could not decipher what could be behind her cold behaviour towards me.


    ¡°Ever since you were brought into this ce you have caused nothing but havoc. You pay no heed to instructions at all. First it was your little stunt at the rice farm which pulled everyone¡¯s attention to you. You went into the alpha king¡¯s chambers even after you were told not to and you knew the consequences of your action. Or is it the incident in the kitchen? Petty thief taking what is meant for the nobles. You even tried to escape. But what is even more surprising is that Ryan still hasn¡¯t had your head yet and I wonder why. You have somehow manipted your way into his chambers.¡±


    ¡°To be locked in chains by his bunk? Away from the freedom of getting to see the sky and interact with the other ves. Lady Ana, if you ask me, I would say that I do not deserve to be treated the way that I have been treated, especially in my condition.¡± I barked.


    ¡°You would not speak while I speak!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I am your superior. Do you have no manners? I see that you were not properly brought up but I will not rest until you know your ce here.¡± She paused, moving closer to me as she whispered in my eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know what ns you have up your sleeves but I will find out and I will not hesitate to bring you down. This time trust me, Ryan would have no other option than to have your head.¡±


    She pulled away to a distance as she stood to further address me.


    ¡°Since you have somehow managed to get yourself into his personal chambers, you have been assigned to scrub the floors of every inch of his chambers. Every corner and every crevice should always be wiped clean. Make sure that you do not leave any part untouched or you would be severely punished but be warned, you better strive carefully or you might not have another chance to live.¡±


    With those final words, she walked out of the chambers leaving me all alone inside. As soon as I could not see any inch of her back anymore, I settled on the bed as the weight of my belly had now increased and weighed heavily on my back. The aching sensation had somehow reached a certain level that I needed to be massaged. As there was no one around and no sight of Ryan returning anytime soon, I pressed on my back myself, easing my aching back from the stress of having to stand and sit all day and night. I had some more scrubbing to do. Even amid Lady Ana¡¯s bitter words, I knew she was right. Ryan could be patiently waiting for the right time to strike hard on me when I would be very much vulnerable and defenceless that it would hit me hard like a rock jammed against my head.

 Chapter Twenty- Four: It All Began

    As I went on with my self-massage, I roved my eyes around the chambers until it rested on a book that sat on the shelf.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± I left the bed as I approached the mini shelf taking hold of the book in my grip.


    ¡®The Trust,¡¯ I read along the title of the book that I held. Thest time I had seen that book was on the shelf of my father¡¯s study room. It was undoubtedly one of the best books I have read or maybe the only book I have been allowed to read. I sighted a pile of good-looking books on the study table that Ryan had been on all night as I gripped them like a missing trophy that I have been patiently looking for like a lost but found in a book collection. I hadpletely forgotten about the given job ced in front of me as I had be engrossed in what I gazed upon.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I jerked just immediately as I heard the voice behind me. And just then, on seeing whom it was, the books fell down my grip and Lady Ana¡¯s words came rushing down on me again.


    ¡°I am so sorry I didn¡¯t see you there.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, she apologises.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have never heard you apologise to anyone before. Hold on, I think I have only seen that just once.¡±


    ¡°And when was that?¡±


    ¡°When I was very close to having your parent¡¯s head on a tter.¡±


    ¡°Oh that, well, I am only apologising this time because I am wrong. I shouldn¡¯t be going through your stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said the words that I was certainly not expecting from a ruthless man.


    ¡°It¡¯s, okay?¡± I had to ask.


    ¡°Yes, ra. What are you still in my chambers anyway?¡±


    ¡°I was instructed to scrub the floors and walls in your chambers.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I really do need to begin with that immediately.¡±  I took up the brush as I began the day¡¯s job as he watched for a while.


    ¡°It seems to me that you like books.¡±


    ¡°Books? No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were literally drooling over them when I walked in on you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t drooling over them, I was only trying to check out some editions. You know that The Trust that you have over there is a very special book.¡±


    ¡°Why would you term it special?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only copy of that edition left. You are holding a rare gem.¡±


    ¡°Really? Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I would hold on to it more,¡± he chuckled and for the first time since I knew him, he had just had his first realughter towards me and somehow, it warmed my heart. I wanted to see himugh often.


    ¡°Howe you know so much about books? You don¡¯t look like a schr to me.¡±


    ¡°I am many things,¡± I said.


    ¡°That sounds interesting. Tell me more, and just so we are clear, that is certainly not an order.¡±


    ¡°Tell you more? I literally have a chore that could take up for a whole day and I am yet to begin.¡±


    ¡°You are getting heavy and you shouldn¡¯t be indulged in such a tedious job anymore.¡±


    ¡°And how has that be a concern of yours? I thought you have always wanted me dead.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, if I wanted you dead, you would have been dead a long time ago from the first day you pulled that stunt of badging into my room, interrupting my bath. But somehow you aren¡¯t dead and I just found out that you¡¯re a lover of books.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, it¡¯s not that serious. They are just books.¡±


    ¡°Well, not with the way you were looking at them.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry to announce this to you but I can¡¯t possibly leave my chores, Lady Ana would certainly not find it funny when shees back to inspect and finds out how not engaged I have been.¡±


    I returned to the ground as I began scrubbing hard again but Ryan was still a hardened nut to crack who always wanted everything to go his way as he was not ready to bulge. He approached me, seizing the brush from my hands.


    ¡°Give me that,¡± he received the brush from my hand, keeping it aside.


    ¡°So, what do I do now? Sit and talk about some books?¡±


    ¡°And who said we would be talking about some books? Come with me, I want to show you something.¡±


    ¡°Show me what?¡±


    Even as I was sceptical about following him to his unknown ce, Lady¡¯s Ana¡¯s words still ng in my head incessantly that it made me abide by his wishes which I had now begun to like.


    I followed behind as we walked in through a door I never knew was there. A hidden study room of some sort that was kept away from the rest of the rooms in his chamber.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The cosiness of the study room was bowled over by the thin cold air that seemed to havee to stay. As Ryan showed me around.


    ¡°Howe I never knew this was here?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not an easy room to find.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to show me a room this special to you?¡±


    ¡°I saw a glint in your eyes by holding a few books. I have never seen that in anyone before.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I walked in between the shelves stacked with books that have been through a life of their own. I took out a book in my grip moving my eyes to some words that I giggled at the old fairy-tale joke. I had been found to linger longer in the romance and thriller aisles. Engulfing the sweet smell of romance and potentially having to feel the thrills from the thrillers. I hade to find the aura of being around books rather appealing. I spent more time there than I thought I would. I scanned through all the angles of the bookshelves with my neck tilting to positions, yearning to find a book lurking around in an obscure corner wishing to be found.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out to him. He was rooted at a corner with piles of books beside him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would ever think you were such a reader with an inner study room that looked like a library.¡±


    ¡°Why? I look too hot to read?¡± He asked in between a smile.


    ¡°Well, I would not be surprised if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°Back in town I love to begin my shopping in the books section so that folks like you would not take out the good books before I arrive.¡± His words made meugh, it was like he could read my mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s the exact thing I do too. I didn¡¯t realise we had that inmon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah me too,¡± he said.


    ¡°So what books do you fancy?¡± I sat just beside him as I went through his choice of books in his grip. They were ssic and had more of the historical fictions.


    ¡°I read widely, I practically read everything that adds value to me, you know? I noticed that you only took up the most recent editions of the books.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t really fancy the older versions.¡± ¡± It¡¯s quite different for me. For all my years reading, I have always found the older editions to be better. I have this feeling that the older the edition, the closer I am to hearing the real words of the author, and not some perfectly polished voice of recent schrs. Have you ever imagined reading the first edition of Mara Jean The Edifice? Or better still the manuscripts. Having the smell of those inks rush down your nose as you flip through the pages. Feeling the hardness of the old paper in your hands. Andughing to those outdated savage words.¡±


    Ryan looked back at me with a wide stare.


    ¡°Science Extol is quite an eye opener, I wonder what hidden words Thomas Hume has in there. Original editions are like gems to me. Precious, rare and unique.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you are really amazing and smart. I have never thought of old books that way. If this study room wasn¡¯t mine, I would have thought you were a staff here disguised to convince me to buy the old books just to get rid of them. You really are a reader, now I¡¯ll only do old editions.¡±


    Weughed at a few sarcastic words on the books Iid my hands upon.


    ¡°This has been really amazing. But I need to get back to work before Lady Ana arrives and everything bes sore again,¡± I said as we walked out of the inner chamber.


    ¡°Well, I think I have a better idea as to what I would want us to do.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    Just then the chamber door swung open and Lady Ana walked in.

 Chapter Twenty- Five: The Garden

    ¡°How dare you walk into my chambers like that?¡± Ryan sparked.


    ¡°My apologies Sire, I didn¡¯t know you were back in your chambers yet. I only came to check up on the maid that I had assigned to clean your room.¡±


    She looked around the room in surprise as everything was still as it was.


    ¡°ra! Have you gone mad! You have clearly disobeyed my instructions of cleaning this chamber.  How dare you?!¡± Lady clearly did not take it lightly as rage boiled up in her.


    Words clogged up my throat as my chest began to feel hotter than it originally was. I knew nothing good would fall from my lips even if I tried to force words out of my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lady Ana,  I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, save your exnation. Come with me,¡± she pulled me along.


    ¡°You would surely be punished for this.¡±


    ¡°Stop it Ana. I would not have youe to my chambers and pull out such a stunt right in front of me.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sire,  this girl is a ve and has clearly disobeyed my orders and she needs to be punished ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Go Ana.¡±


    ¡°Sire?¡±


    ¡°Go and get some other ve to do the chore.¡±


    ¡°No, I would begin the clean up just immediately.¡± I rushed towards the brush Ryan held me backwards and just then,  I watched as Lady Ana¡¯s eyes widened in its grip. I didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on but whatever it was,  I knew that it was going to cause a lot of trouble and I surely wasn¡¯t ready for what wasing.


    ¡°No,  ra,  I would not let you do that. Ana would get someone for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,  Sire.¡± Lady Ana muttered as she walked out of the chamber.


    ¡°What was that for? I am in so much trouble right now. Lady Ana would never forgive me after this.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Why?  You don¡¯t sleep,  eat and work amongst the ves.  She rules the ves and we worship everything that she says.¡±


    ¡°Well,  she answers to me.¡±


    ¡°You clearly do not understand this now,  do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is anything more to understand in this.¡±


    ¡°I need to go now and thank you very much for taking those chains off my wrist,  somehow, it changed me.¡±


    With those words I walked out of his chambers before he would even say another word.


    As I walked back to my little cabin room,  I avoided every path that might lead to me bumping into Lady Ana. I didn¡¯t want to see her not after what had happened in Ryan¡¯s chamber. Right now, she would have my head if she could.


    I appreciated every stench I perceived from the rotting woods from the walls of my room. At least I had a breath of fresh air and could see the sky again. Being chained by the bunk of his bed had clearly taken away something from me. Perhaps my will to be free again,  I didn¡¯t know. All I wanted was to be free from pain and hurt.


    After a long day being indoors,  no further chores had been assigned to me which made me very much suspicious that maybe Lady Ana was nning something for me. I walked out just as the sun had gone down again avoiding the main building as well as the other ves.  Instead,  I took a different route, a ce that I had not been through.


    The garden caught my eyes again, it waspelling to take a look around. After all, I might not get the chance to see such a thing again. The brilliant petals of the gorgeous garden weed my eyes, and my senses meticulously kept hedges. I closed my eyes to take in the sweet smell of the concoction mix of various kinds of flowers.


    I walked into it, it was like a maze with green highwns as walls and flowers at every angle. I took one of its stalks and put it up to my nose. It looked more like a dandelion but its petals were like that of the lily. I rounded a corner, where I saw a figure, in the midst of the rose flowers, admiring everything that was in full bloom. He turned to me with a stern stare.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have taken it off its stack.¡± He stared sternly and then into aughter.


    ¡°I got you there. You could have seen the look on your face.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I am bewildered with confusion, Sire.¡± I moved backwards still trying to understand his mood. He was certainly a joker and his sense of humour intrigued me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry foring in here. I didn¡¯t think anyone ever came here, not even you.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I own everything, remember?  Apart from the books I love the garden.¡±


    ¡°But howe the ves are never assigned to work in the garden?¡±


    ¡°Lady Ana prefers someone more into the world of horticulture than the hands of ves who only seemed to know what to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh,  I see. I know I should be punished for getting to leave my room without being told to do so.  But before this smile dries on your lips,  I think I would like to get going.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should.  I mean you came here for a stroll right?  Let me deprive you of that.¡±


    ¡°But I am a ve, depriving me of a lot of things is what you do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, ra,e take a stroll with me.¡±


    We began the stroll through the grounds, our footsteps on the garden path formed a melody as ourughter blended with the soft rustling of leaves.


    ¡°Tell me, ra, what do you think about being here?¡± His voice whistled with the wind.


    ¡°I needed a change of scenery and I know it¡¯s advisable to take strolls before the weight weighs heavily on my leg.¡± I watched him smile, every smile loosened a tightening nut in me. He spoke more, sharing tales about a certain past and his affinity for literature and art. I loved to hear him speak, his brilliant mind and the breath of hisprehension enthralled me.


    ¡°Lord Ryan, you have a wealth of information and a passion that is genuinely alluring. Being involved in such engaging conversation is refreshing.¡±


    ¡°And you, ra, have a mind as sharp as a diamond, your wisdom and wit are truly a rare treasure. I have to add that I am having a great time with you.¡±


    Lady Ana walked in from behind pulling my hands, ¡°Oh! Lord Ryan so sorry for this. I  didn¡¯t know this one had gone astray again. She never listens and stays in herne. I know how much you hate having someone interrupt your quiet strolls, perhaps she waspelled to visit your magnificent gardens but that is not an excuse. ra we should go at once,¡± she ordered.


    Ryan turned to face me, meeting my gaze and shing a genuine smile. I saw his eyes, they were as clear as the cyanic sky. Even as bright as it appeared, I knew that there was something not right with them. It was like he longed for something, maybe a path or a direction. It was hard to tell. My instincts were never wrong and the childlike novelty in me had sprung up. That instant, I wanted to know what gloomy cloud had taken a part of him, the desire to know was like a spark that caused my chest to flutter.


    I could not help but wonder if us always meeting in ces held the potential of something more as the sun started to set, sending warmth over the garden. I had no idea of what had just happened or if I will have an encounter of such magnificent nature again. Something about the way he looked at me, and spoke out like he had hoarded a lot of passion waiting to be shared. It felt like a sprouting root, waiting to blossom in the splendour of our shared connection.


    ¡°ra!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lady Ana,¡± I said walking away in quick steps out of the garden.

 Chapter Twenty- Six: The Surprise Visit

    ¡°Ryan? Or would I say to Lord Ryan, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked as soon as I opened the door.


    ¡°Ryan would just be fine. And that is not a way to greet a friend.¡±


    ¡°A friend? I do not think we are friends. Thest I checked you hated me and the feeling was and is still mutual. I presume you have some very important duties to attend to?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes I do and that includes you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Have I been assigned for another tedious duty? Tell me,  what is it? Maybe I can put on my work dress.  Is it at the rice farm or the winery this time?  Has Lady Ana finally let me work in the house?¡±


    ¡°Hey slow down. It¡¯s not work. I just want to steal you for a while.¡±


    He stared at my dress, it was like a colour wheel of paint.


    ¡°Steal me like an object I presume. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Every week I go out for a stroll, a long one, so I go with my carriage. I would like you toe with me. It would be intriguing, you can finally get to see the rest of the town.¡±


    ¡°I cannot leave the house, what do I tell Lady Ana when shees for the head count? I cannot risk making her anymore furious, at least she has not been entirely bad to me.¡±


    ¡°You can say, you went on a trip with the Lord.¡± He said and we both chuckled.


    ¡°Okay, let me make this clear. It is the time of the week when I would go out for a stroll to different parts of the town.¡±


    ¡°And why do you want to take me with you?¡±


    ¡°You know when I was all alone in that study room all through the night I had developed a troubled mind. I dipped the quail into the ink and wrote down my thoughts and wonders. I knew I was missing something.  You were not beside that bed chained to the bunk.¡±


    ¡°I am d I am not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be. It had been three days since I saw you,  such intelligence that oozed around you. I wanted to see you again, to be able to share your knowledge in the arts beyond just the basics. I want to take you on this stroll with me because I want to be able to talk to you again.  Aside from that you are such a wonderfulpany. Are you in? I do not want to bemanding but please say yes.  It¡¯s just one stroll.¡±


    Ryan had suddenly grown war toes beside me.  His gaze towards me had suddenly changed and he was wiser with his words. Being chained to that bunk had really caused a stir in us.


    ¡°Okay, fine, just one stroll. I sure hope Lady Ana will understand.¡±


    We walked to the carriage. Joy thrived in me that amongst all things he had chosen to take this special outing with me. I looked at him to find him staring back but he did not look away. Instead,  I hid my eyes, shying away from his stare.


    ¡°You do look like a curious one. You can ask whatever is bothering you.¡±


    ¡°I am not quite bothered. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, there is the ¡®however¡¯, I was waiting for that. Go on.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Being the Alpha King, you look quite young for that. Perhaps I am missing something.¡±


    ¡°Well, my father always says, a man is what he wants to be. I became the Alpha King sixteen years after what happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah that, I feel like I should be apologising everyday to you for what my parents did to you.¡±


    ¡°Having you around,  seeing you wail in pain made me feel at ease at some point but then,  I realised a lot of things when I saw you lying by the bed that night. But everything that happened wasn¡¯t entirely your parents fault.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My parents had made bad decisions in the past which they knew would lead to their deaths,  it was only a matter of time. My father knew this and so he needed a sessor to keep the pack,  thends and the estate. I only became the alpha king because I fought and conquered so many wars at such an age. The anger and rage that boiled in me only fuelled my strength.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I looked away from the carriage to the roads.


    ¡°So what about you? What were your parents doing in my territory when my men caught you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a really long story.¡±


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t say we have all day,  but I would say that we have all evening.¡±


    ¡°I left my mate,  Raymond, when I caught him in bed with my best friend.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh the betrayed mate,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Sounds quite funny now but it wasn¡¯t so funny back then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, so what happened after that.¡±


    ¡°Turned out that he never loved me and only used me to get the pack Alpha¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°Such treachery,  you could have had his head.¡±


    ¡°He upies such a powerful position,  how would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    ¡°He took everything away from me,  including the house my parents had gifted me.  After the meeting with the werewolf council. He got furious and still seeing us as a threat, set us up. We were used of killing a pack member and so we were banished from our pack and became wandering omegas in the woods until we found ourselves in your world. And surprisingly,  your world is quite backwards.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to go through all of that. Now it exins the child,  is he right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,  but he does not know that.  I found out weeks after I had left the pack.¡±


    ¡°And speaking of my world, I love to hear the gallops from the hoof of the horses,  the smell of the dry hair and watch the workers till the soul of my farmnd.  I know it¡¯s just a matter of time before I would get ustomed to the already made world out there.  This is my little heaven.¡±


    I watched him speak, his lips stuttering and his eyes flickered as he used certain words. I stared at her smiling at the dry sand and as the carriage trotted on, I saw an undefined hope, something so pure that I could not exin in a thousand years.


    ¡°You are so brave, you know.¡±


    ¡°Brave huh?¡±


    ¡°You have such courage I don¡¯t think I would have in a long while.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°You left your home to be in a strangend, such bravery I did not know if I possessed. I can¡¯t even face the growing world and ept the fact that times are changing.¡±


    ¡°This is who you are and you love it. Why on earth do you need to change that?¡±


    ¡°Henry, can you drive the carriage towards thatth please,¡± he said to the driver.


    ¡°Sire?¡±


    ¡°You heard me the first time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sire.¡± He moved closer to a new route.


    ¡°What do you fancy?¡±


    ¡°I have never been asked that question before.¡±


    He beamed, the ray from the carriage window rested on his eyes, and for the first time they were peaceful and delicate. He had asked a question, something I did not think I would be asked at least for a longer while.


    ¡°I want to be a writer, write some of the famous books and poems as well. Do you write?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly but I read sometimes, when I get to be in fathers study room. It is a great experience, learning new words and knowing about the past as well.¡±


    ¡°Henry, can you stop the carriage please?¡± The carriage came to aplete halt.


    ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We walk from here,e let me show you something.¡±

 Chapter Twenty- Seven: A Special place

    He took my hands in his as we walked along leaving the carriage and Henry behind.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I would want it to be a surprise. It is just a little bit further.¡±


    We walked on the soil, trampling on the fallen leaves as they rustled. My hair bounced as I walked; it was like ripples from water.


    ¡°I forgot my hat in the carriage, I should go get it.¡±


    ¡°Here, you can have mine.¡± He took the hat off my head, handing it over to meContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, but should I be wearing the Alpha King¡¯s hat?¡±


    ¡°With you I am just Ryan. No Lord, no title. It is just me and you here.¡±


    He chuckled and his chin rose, giving him an even glowing look.


    ¡°How often do you do this? Come out here in the open, to gasp in the air.¡±


    ¡°More often than you think. My stroll is a very important time for me to be away from everyone.¡±


    ¡°What about your mate? Do you not n on taking any?¡±


    ¡°I do sometimes,  but other times, I always have the mind-set of why do I need one when I can have it all?¡±


    ¡°Such crazy mind-set,  no offence.¡±


    ¡°None taken but you are right though. Along the line it gets boring and very much depressing.¡±


    ¡°We are here.¡± I stared at the well made of bricks, with glowing pink petal flowers surrounding it.


    ¡°A well is your favourite ce in the whole of this ce?¡±


    ¡°Not just a well, I call it my thinking well.¡±


    ¡°You are so hrious. But it¡¯s a really cosy spot though. I love the stillness and peace that brings.¡±


    ¡°So, how long would you stay here for whenever youe out to this spot?¡±


    ¡°As long as I want to. Sometimes I stay up through the night. Trust me when I say it¡¯s really a ce to think.¡±


    ¡°How often do you bring people here?¡±


    ¡°People? No one knows about this spot.  At least no one that I know of. I could have called it my secret spot but it¡¯s not very secret now is it?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t bring anyone here then why did you bring me here?¡±


    I watched him,  he hid his smile as well as the rest of the words that would have given me answers that I searched for.


    ¡­


    My thoughts only ran far and wild as Iid on the bed a few hours after we had returned.  Luckily,  Lady Ana had note for me, at least I didn¡¯t know yet.  No one saw me walk in so I threw myself on the bed awaiting sleep.


    I opened my eyelids to the crack of dawn, rising like the bloom of the primrose in a garden, with the touch of the cool breath of the morning dew on me. The balmy air like that of the early days of every month brushed against my skin raising my hairs. The howl of the wind graced my ears. I strolled to the window with the dew still all over, its dimness robbed me of the newly birthed view. I settled on the rocking chair still watching  the day, the yellow sun peeking from the white clouds, it bore a resemnce to the Gainsboroughndscape portrait. Such magnificence and resplendence. I took up the needle to med my turn out dresses then a soft tap came from the door.


    After a few pointless guesses on who would be so kind as not to bang so hard,  I finally opened to find Beth looking back at me.


    ¡°Beth? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too.¡±


    ¡°I have not seen you in like forever.¡±


    ¡°Me too but you look better than thest time I saw you. Tea? I sneaked a few things out from the winery.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I retrieved the cup sipping a bit from it before dropping it off on the table.


    ¡°Like it¡¯s been forever.. I never thought I would see you again.¡±


    ¡°Why would you even think of someone like me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Why won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You know I came here during the evening yesterday and then I saw you.¡±


    The liquid refused to pass down my throat and I poured it back as I heard those words from her.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,  I am not a snitch. And besides he is the Alpha King if he really likes you he would protect you.¡±


    ¡°Like me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,  ra.¡±


    ¡°No,  it hasn¡¯t gotten to that.¡±


    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t act like a child.¡±


    ¡°Look,  I am with another man¡¯s child. Ryan¡­ I mean the Alpha king can¡¯t possibly like me.¡±


    ¡°Well,  that¡¯s not the question here.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the question?¡±


    ¡°The question is do you like him?¡± I nced at her and she smiled back nudging her head.


    ¡°You lost me Beth.¡±


    ¡°You went out together to town with him and everyone is talking about it.¡±


    ¡°He is just a very goodpany. I don¡¯t know If I will consider him as a friend yet. Do you know that he thinks well?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was supposed to be a secret. I do not like him the way that you think.¡±


    ¡°And what way do you think that I think?¡±


    ¡°The way that you think that I would want to be with him. He is just a friend and I only enjoy hispany. I am pregnant and nothing of that sort will happen between us.¡±


    ¡°I am d that you know that. I would not advise you to have anything further with him.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Well you have seen these people.  You have stayed here longer than I have. You would not want to step on toes now would you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, you have to thread wisely. Now get ready, we have been assigned for a job.¡± She patted my shoulder moving out of the room as I watched her back.


    ¡­


    It was midday, Iid on the bed with my cheek pressed to the pillow. I had a rumbling stomach from eating too much hot bread. The pain had subsided and I did not feel the etching desire to throw up or the cramping of my stomach walls. I wanted to go back to the dress or go out to watch the sunset. Beth had be a constant guest as we had be closer. Not too long, she walked in again, this time without knocking with a bowl in one hand and a letter on the other hand.


    ¡°I got something hot for you, it would help with your belly and this letter came for you.¡±


    ¡°Where did you see that?¡±


    ¡°Just by the doorstep.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She dropped it on the wooden constructed table together with the bowl. I moved sluggishly out of bed to the chair just in front of the table. In the spoon in my hands, I took out a scoop of the liquid emptying it inside my mouth. My tongue felt numb but I could still taste a bit of the peppermint. I took up the letter tearing it open, it read;

 Chapter Twenty- Eight: The Letter

    Dearest ra


    How are you?¡±


    I have not seen you in days and your absence is understandable. I want toe by but I do not want to breach your warnings. I am inviting you over for a bowl of warm chicken soup at dusk, I know how much you like that. We can walk through the gardens together. Let me have this chance with you now I still can.


    Ryan.


    I read it out loud again, so I could hear the words in his voice. I had heeded the warnings of Lady Ana and Beth, to stay away from him. He had shown me so much in so little time. I was asked to sit here and waste away, but the urge to go and speak to him bubbled as I read the letter again. I wanted to feel his warm stare around me even when he thought that I was not looking. His smile closed the rift of solitude I had created around myself in the past years.


    ¡°Who is it from and what does it say?¡± She asked as she caught me smiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ryan and he is inviting me over for a bowl of hot chicken soup and a walk through his beautiful garden.¡±


    ¡°Wait, there is a garden here?¡±


    ¡°I felt the same way when I first saw it.¡±


    ¡°But girl would you go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should. I mean why should I? It would only mean that I am leading him on.¡±


    ¡°But you like him, so that would bepletely different.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know I said you should stay away from him but I think you should honour his invitation. At least he didn¡¯t just badge in here to drag you out now did he?¡±


    ¡°I told him not to.¡±


    ¡°And he respected your wishes, that¡¯s quite noble.¡±


    ¡°So I should go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even if it¡¯s not for friendship¡¯s sake, at least let it be for the fact that he is the alpha king and deserves your respect.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Lady Ana, I¡¯ll cover up for you.¡±


    ¡°Beth, that¡¯s so sweet, you barely know me and you are doing this much for me already.¡±


    ¡°We know someone in minutes if we want to. And you are not so bad after all.¡±


    I moved away from the chair, to the little box of my raggedy clothes. There, I found a repro silk white dress with a hooded cloak, perfect for my visit even if I knew it wasn¡¯t very different from my other dresses.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to wear that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t bring my box of designers down here. This is the best I have.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll need something to touch it up.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Beth dashed out of my room as I began to put on the dress and in a short while, she rushed back in with some jewelleries, a fancy hat and a purse.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Where did you get those from?¡±


    ¡°Well, I had seen it the day that I was to clean Lady Ana¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you stole this from Lady Ana?¡±


    ¡°Rx she has so many of these she wouldn¡¯t even notice they are gone. Just make sure you aren¡¯t seen.¡±


    It was just what I needed though to spice up my dress with the peacock feathers by the rim. With my gloves on and my purse, I sneaked away from the cottage through the gate without being noticed. At the other end of the path I sighted a carriage, the horse man waved to me and I walked up towards him.


    ¡°Lord Ryan asked that we bring you.¡±


    ¡°How did he know that I would ept his invitation?¡±


    ¡°He said he is just being hopeful.¡±


    I settled in as we began the ride through the gate. It felt like a dream, alone in a carriage, in a fancy dress, going to have a meal with the Alpha King. The most powerful werewolf of all time and that had been nothing but a nemesis to me. I did not know what my parents would think of me if they ever got to hear about this or Lady Ana who would always remind me how badly I had been raised.


    I felt my forehead burning now and my stomach rumbling again. I wanted to tell the rider to stop, to turn the carriage around and take me back to the little cabin, just then, I sighted Lady Ana with an even younger and prettier girl walking beside her. She might be going for her evening stroll as well, with her handmaids and a few guards. I bent over so I did not catch a glimpse of her eyes until we moved past them.


    The carriage drove ahead and stopped. I peeked through the curtain, and we stopped in front of the garden. The carriage door swung open and the man helped me with the stool. I stepped out watching around. I could feel my heartbeat increase and the aura of an unwanted guest around me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I muttered to the kind man.


    ¡°You are most dearly weed. He is in the garden. He asked that you shoulde to the spot where you first met him in the garden.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that should be the rose garden.¡±


    ¡°I presume so.¡±


    I walked down through the path of the garden, running my hands on the leaves. Then, I saw his back again, just like the first day I had seen him admiring the roses in the garden. He turned with a meticulous smile on his face.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°The man with the carriage did mention that you were hopeful.¡±


    ¡°I am a man of faith.¡±


    ¡°So, this is where you spend most of your day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, when I am unable to fulfil any duty.¡±


    ¡°What do you actually do here apart from watching the petals bloom and taking in the fresh smell? ¡±


    ¡°I just walk.¡±


    ¡°Walk?¡±


    ¡°Yes, not exactly walking though, I prefer to call it trampling.¡±


    ¡°Why do you prefer to call it that?¡±


    ¡°It is a term I just made up because just walking seems dull. I look upon what is not there and imagine what is there.¡±


    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s a bit of a strange thing to do, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°No, you should try it.¡±


    ¡°Look upon that branch, what do you see?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just an empty branch.¡±


    ¡°Mm let¡¯s keep walking.¡±


    We walked along to different parts of the garden, ¡°Why do you have a garden thisrge?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t always me. My father made this. He loved the garden more than anything and so I guess he passed it on to me.¡±


    I stopped walking and the aching in my feet had suddenly be unbearable, nipping my hose and eating up my toes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He moved closer holding me until I settled on a tform, just facing the daffodil flowers.


    ¡°My feet hurt, I wore the wrong footwear.¡± He sat beside me, ¡°I apologise.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no you do not have to be sorry, I do enjoy the view of your beautiful garden and would love to continue our sightseeing.¡± I squeezed my feet in my grip in a means to ease the pain, wheezing.


    ¡°Let me see that.¡± He took my foot from my grip, squeezing it in his grip, his touch was tender, like that of a mother fiddling her infant. He looked at me which made me look away  hiding the shy smile growing on my lips. Beneath all the ruthlessness he was certainly a gentleman.


    ¡°You cannot walk with this in your feet, the nurse will see to it.¡±


    ¡°The nurse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she knows how to handle aches and sprains of this sort; she has the magic fingers.¡± I took up my shoes,  ¡°No, you do not have to take them with you. Hold on now, would you?¡± I nodded, ¡± Henry!¡±  He called out and Henry rushed in with a bow. ¡°You would take thisdy¡¯s shoes in and call the nurse now.¡±


    ¡°Alright Sire.¡± He took up my shoes.


    ¡°Now, youe here.¡± He took me up from the ground unto his arms. I felt his muscles contract, showing how much of a strong man he was. He looked into my eyes as he walked into the house, so firm and strong that I had forgotten all that had happened earlier up to that moment because it was all that mattered, this feeling and rush of desire that this man had made me feel so stronger than anything I had felt in my years on earth.

 Chapter Twenty- Nine: The New Lady

    He ced me down on the sofa, the nurse arrived and attended to my leg. He was right, her hands worked like magic, just one squeeze and I could feel the ache a little less.


    ¡°Tea?¡± he asked, I grabbed the cup in my hands sipping from it as I looked around, admiring every bit of the splendour. It was like a house of a King,  it was not a surprising tale that every girl wanted a bit of him, either to bed him or suck from the sap of his wealth.


    ¡°You have a beautiful home. I haven¡¯t really seen this part of your home.¡±


    ¡°I guess you only worked outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes,  and certainly the worst ces.¡±


    ¡°How do your feet feel now?¡±


    ¡°Good as new.¡±


    ¡°I told you her hands work like magic.¡± He waved to the nurse and she walked out. It was just Ryan and I. He moved closer to the couch still watching my eyes.


    ¡°Why do you shy away when I stare at you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it would be respectful to look directly into your eyes.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to look into my eyes. I want to see the colour of your eyes. I want to know how you charmed me.¡±


    ¡°Charmed you?¡± I looked away.


    ¡°Yes, I know that I don¡¯t deserve your beauty, your intelligence. I am an alpha who has everything butcks the thing that really matters. But when I saw you in that garden that day, I knew there was something about you thatpletes me.¡±


    We were interrupted as the door flung open and ady walked in. One of the finest I had seen around. She seemed like she had just gotten into town as she looked very modern and very much familiar.  I could not tell we¡¯re I had seen that face but it was clear that was not the first time I had seen such a look.


    ¡°Ryan!¡± She went in for a hug.


    ¡°Patricia? Is that really you?¡±


    Ryan grabbed her in his arms as they hugged tightly like two lovers who had been distant for a while.


    ¡°Flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you. I had missed having you around here. The pack would be so happy to have you back.¡±


    I began to feel the urge to leave as their little drama charade had be longsting. One did not need to spend more time to know that they had a thing. I managed to clear out my airways and bring back the attention to me which I got first from Ryan and then from the new girl, Patricia. And then it came to me, she was a girl I had seen walking beside Lady Ana at the moment I wasing to see Ryan.


    ¡°Hey ra, this is Patricia, my childhood friend. We go way back,¡± he said as he introduced her to me and then he turned towards Patricia, ¡°This is ra.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you Patricia,¡± I stretched out my hands for a handshake but only kept it back after she looked at them in disgust.


    ¡°Ryan, why do you have a pregnantdy in a ragged dress in your living room sitting on your couch?¡±


    ¡°Hey, C¡¯mon Patricia,  you would not disrespect my guest that way.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to refresh and I will be hoping that before I get back you will be done with your guest so we can have all the time to catch  up.¡±


    ¡°That would be a great idea.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± She said and walked out leaving just us again as my mind clouded in mixed feelings.


    ¡°I knewing here was a bad idea. I¡¯d like to take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Hey c¡¯mon so soon?¡±


    ¡°Ryan,  I am pregnant and I am still your ve. I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    I tried to move and my dress got whacked by a protruding nail from the chair which ripped it out.


    ¡°Oh my God! ¡± I held my torn dress looking at it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why this keeps happening every damn time. Why would you even have a bad chair in your home? ¡±


    I had be furious as it was the only good dress I loved wearing from the pile of raggedy dresses Lady Ana had given me.


    ¡°Can I take a look at it at least?¡± He asked calmly and I agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone beyond mending, I think I have some dresses here.¡±


    I watched as he got some dresses. It was a red dress with a full skirt. These were the dresses that the nobles in thend had on. With their hats and an umbre over their heads, they strolled the streets with their ves. I always caught a glimpse of them whenever she was out in the fields.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t ept this.¡± I rejected the dress and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s a nice dress and you can¡¯t go around looking like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like what? A ve? That¡¯s what I am, remember. And I still wonder what I am doing in Lord Ryan¡¯s space, the alpha king.¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Let me leave or I¡¯d tell them that their so-called Alpha kidnapped a ve girl.¡±


    ¡°And you think they¡¯ll believe you over me?¡±


    ¡°Ryan look, I don¡¯t know the game that you are ying but I want out of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t let you go,¡± he said.


    ¡°Open the damn door.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do what you did?¡± I turned to face him with a furrowed brow.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°What are you even talking about?


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the note.¡±


    ¡°And what has all of this drama got to do with that note?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡±


    ¡°Look Ryan, I had a long day courtesy to you and I need my rest, I don¡¯t know what farm or field I¡¯ll work in by dawn in my condition, so if there is something, now is the right time to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t have any idea of what I¡¯m talking about, do you?¡±


    I only narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°The note ra, the note.¡±


    ¡°The note where you stated that you had something very special for me and I ended up in the piggery? Is it that note that you are all wrapped up about? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I invited you to dinner ra and you tantly turned down my invitation. I felt kind of bad for the way I treated you, especially after discovering that you were with your child even though I was still very furious at what your parents did to me. I wanted to make amends even before I got to know that I am into you. You have a strong heart and that¡¯s what attracts me to you. Whenever I try to resist you, I just can¡¯t help it. At least you could have just honoured it even if you do not feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°What invitation are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea do you?¡± He said.


    ¡°I sincerely don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you didn¡¯t get the invitation?


    ¡°The only note I got from you was the¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I have heard you say that a million times.¡±


    ¡°Who did you send this supposed invitation note through?¡±


    ¡°Lady Ana.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know why she might have kept the letter from me but that doesn¡¯t change anything. You practically sent me to the worst ces to work, I work from dusk to dawn with those stern-looking men watching me. I work on an empty stomach. And in my condition it only got worse.¡±


    And before I could say the next word, he  fervently pressed his lips against mine, engaging in a passionate kiss.


    On realising this, I immediately pulled away from him.


    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± He persisted in his approach towards me, but I retreated.


    ¡°Stop! This should not be happening,¡± I eximed.


    He implored, ¡°ra, look into my eyes and tell me that you do not feel the way I do. Tell me that your heart does not skip a beat whenever we meet because that is how I feel every time I am with you. My emotions overwhelm me to the point where words fail to express them.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Look into my eyes!¡± he demanded as his voice shook and tears welled up in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard; you do not know me,¡± I asserted, keeping her distance.


    ¡°Then let me get to know you. Every being in me wants you. I have seen and been with so many but none have made me feel the way that you have done even from a distance. You cane stay in this mansion with me. I don¡¯t want you staying in that cabin anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ryan have you gone mad?  I am carrying another man¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care about that.¡±


    ¡°And besides you have a woman in your life.¡±


    ¡°Who? Patricia?¡± he chuckle and continued


    ¡°She is Lady Ana¡¯s daughter. Lady Ana had taken care of me when I was much younger and so Patricia and I grew up together. Yes I love her but just as one would love his sister. Nothing more will ever happen between us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± We turned to find Patricia standing beside us,  she had heard everything as tears fell down her cheeks.  It was clear that she had more in store for Ryan than he did for her. Anotherplicated love drama that I was not ready to be part of. As soon as she walked out, I walked out too.

 Chapter Thirty: A Breath of Fresh Air

    A breath of fresh air escaped from my lips after shutting the metal door behind me. I heard footsteps and quickly began my walk back to my room. As I walked on, I avoided the gaze of the people I passed by. I felt their eyes bore deep holes in my skin. And as if I had no control over  my legs, I took on my heels fleeing the stairs and avoiding having any body contact with anyone until I got to the ve quarters. Lady Ana had not dropped off any box as she used to and it somehow worried me. Maybe she might have heard all that had happened. I wanted my life as a ve to return to normal.


    The usual morning box that had the tools that described the work that I would do for the day and the two men who had suddenly be part of my daily job. I pondered whether I would every eyes on them again after the events of the previous night. I swiftly darted into the bathroom, which was old and dpidated with cracked walls adorned by fresh green mosses and moulds.


    I could not get my mind off of him, after all, he had only been a sad lover that was the reason for the hardbour. My body began to respond as I thought about him, I felt the wetness again, just as it had been when he was with me. The desire for him was real, I knew this.


    A drop of the water touched my tongue, its upsetting taste dragged me out of my thoughts and I quickly spat it out and walked out of the bathroom. I took up the dress from where I had kept it and ced it over my chin as I stared at the broken mirror in the room. Every ve had a room of their own, with a bathroom attached. Lady Ana called me lucky as I had a mirror and a soft bed in mine as most of the ves had hard beds and no mirror.


    I saw the dress and I saw the beauty which made me happy that I had chosen to ept it from him. It matched my skin tone and the rhinestones glitter even without the lights. It reminded me of the good times and fancy dresses back home.


    I jerked on hearing of Lady Ana¡¯s voice outside. I knew that she would open the door in no time and so I quickly put the dress underneath the bed but I had been too quick to turn around to see if I had perfectly put it in.


    Lady Ana badged in just as I had predicted.  ¡°Morningdy Ana.¡± I hid my eyes.


    Lady Ana looked in disgust as she surveyed the room with a nce. Then, she handed the basket that had the sickle to her.


    ¡°The rice farm? Will I be working there alone?¡± I asked. But she did not respond. She only eyed me and moved away from the door. I looked over her shoulders but did not find the men. Lady Ana had note with them, indeed I knew Ryan had a hand in it. She scanned the room thoroughly as though she had heard that I had brought in something.


    ¡°After an hour in the rice farm, you will assemble at the ball hall just as the rest of the ves. The ball ising up and the hall should be sparkling.¡±


    ¡°Yes,  ma¡¯am.¡±


    After a while, she walked out. And my lungs suddenly felt free as air rushed into my lungs.


    ¡°That was close,¡± I turned towards the need tucking the dress properly underneath it. I took the basket and walked out.


    As the annual ball approached, Lady Ana made sure that all hands were on deck for the preparation. The morning sun spilt its golden rays through therge windows into the grand hall. I had assumed my position with Beth as we scrubbed the floors of the hall. The sound of brooms, dusters, and mops swayed in unison, caressing the marble ground till its mirrored look shimmered. Radiant in my diminished apron and worn-out clothing, directed the arrangement of ornate curtains in opposition to the pallid walls, making them cloaked in bright colorations of azure, emerald, and gold.


    ¡°How were you captured again?¡± Beth asked, ¡°I was kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Why are we talking about that sad memory when we should be focused on the future,¡± Beth responded with a smile and they went back to work. I shoved off the thought of why Beth always asked about that.


    In her sleek red robe covering down to her feet Patricia appeared at the doorstep of the hall and Ryan followed in just immediately. He shuddered at seeing her standing in a corner sipping wine from his cup.


    ¡°Hey Patricia, didn¡¯t think I would find you here. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I can¡¯t juste into the hall but they can?¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    I reduced the pace and intensity of my scrubbing so I could hear them clearly.


    ¡°I hear the rumours, Ryan.¡±


    ¡°What rumour? And why should I be bothered about some rumour?¡±


    ¡°I know that you can¡¯t keep what¡¯s in between your legs to yourself with these ves.¡±


    ¡°Let me worry about who I share my bed with. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Who is she? Tell me who the ve is and let me have her head.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°You would do no such thing, Patricia.¡±


    Suddenly my heart stopped for a second and then continued again.


    ¡°Oh no, you know I can.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let what happened thest time happen again.¡±


    Patricia chuckled, ¡°We will see about that.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to make sure that everything about the ball is in ce just as you are here.¡±


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Your mother is capable of handling things to perfection.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just thought I shoulde around. I knew I would meet you here though since you weren¡¯t at your chambers. I have missed you so much.¡±


    She grabbed his arms and took my eyes away for a bit before returning it to watch them.


    ¡°Patricia, you act like a baby sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I am your baby.¡±


    ¡°You are not.¡±


    He took out her hands as they continued moving around the hall watching as we scrubbed.


    ¡°So who is this person, who is she?¡±


    ¡°Who do you speak of?¡±


    ¡°The one you share your bed with.¡±


    ¡°What do you want with her?¡±


    ¡°Or are you protecting her?¡± She chuckled and continued,  ¡°I know you Ryan, I know this is not love but one of the numerous games that you y to satisfy your unending urge, but I don¡¯t quite get why you are protecting her. May I remind you that she is not worth anything, she is just a ve.¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, let me worry about that.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and walked on leaving her behind.


    ¡°Or is she thedy I saw you with the other time?¡±


    Ryan did not respond.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll find her.¡±


    She walked up to Ryan again as they got closer.


    ¡°I see the ball ising up. This would be a great opportunity to seal the deal with the foreign merchants from the state.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want the affairs of the ball to be in good hands that¡¯s why I would be putting you in charge.¡±


    Patricia smiled on hearing that she would be heading the affairs of the ball.


    ¡°Sounds interesting.¡± Ryan pulled her into a corner,  ¡°Don¡¯t try anything stupid.¡±


    I read his lips.


    ¡°Chill, you have nothing to worry about. I will do just fine.¡± She held the smirk on her lips as she walked alongside him.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to be home.¡± She whispered under her breath as he took her into the grand hall which was being prepared for the uing ball.


    I looked ahead as I heard his voice, a soft, even tone of manliness that always turned me on whenever he whispered in my ears. Beth trailed my eyes to him as I did not shift my gaze when he entered the hall with Patricia.


    ¡°He is such a fine man, I bet he wouldn¡¯t notice you.¡±


    ¡°He is, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if he didn¡¯t notice me.¡± I lied looking away.


    ¡°Just kidding though,¡± she nudged my arm.


    ¡°Do you think that he likes her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°They look good together,¡± I said.

 Chapter Thirty- One: Another Stroll

    He pulled his fingers from mine and walked some steps away from me as we took another stroll of his on a fine evening. When he stopped, he looked beyond the stream that divided us from thene of trees that lined the other side.


    ¡°I never asked to be the Alpha King you know. Just Ryan. Just a man with desires and dreams and emotions. With that freedom to do what he wanted without anyone cing limitations or embargoes.¡±


    I approached him. ¡°Well, that is a way to describe your ambition in life. May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°When you have been given no control over your own life since the very moment you were born, ra the very thought of freedom stirs you in ways you cannot begin to fathom.¡±


    I held his hand, feeling a shiver run under my skin from the point of contact. He gave me a small smile, stroked my knuckles and let go of my hand. I tried to fight the wave of disappointment the absence of contact left in its wake.


    ¡°Do you mean to tell me you have no control now? I must admit I find that hard to believe, my lord. You are the alpha king after all. You have the power¡­¡±


    ¡°Power I may have, true, but control over my own person is far from me. My duties as an Alpha, my people, high society, they all tell me the things I can and cannot do.¡±


    When he blinked, that was the moment I realised I had been staring as he spoke. Ryan looked into the distance, his eyes unfocused like he saw something no one else could see.


    ¡°I do not understand why you let others dictate how you should act, or who you should be.¡±


    ¡°Ites with the territory, I¡¯m afraid. The power is not as clear-cut as it seems. The pack has a measure of influence over the office like it or not, and with the right words spoken to the right ears all my power will be gone. I can influence them too, to some extent, but I have to be careful not to overdo it, or else there would be chaos. It gets overwhelming, this dance.¡±


    ¡°I would like to see how you hold up against those vipers, which brings me to the reason I asked you out today.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Ryan stopped walking so I automatically stopped too. His piercing eyes shone as usual as they stared into mine, and for some reason it made my heart skip a beat.


    Suddenly, it hit me that he was nning something.


    ¡°Ryan? What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°ra, would you give me the pleasure of a dance?¡±


    I was puzzled.


    ¡°A dance? But there is no music.¡±


    ¡°Not right now, but there will be a ball two days from now. We can dance then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°I am certain you heard me, ra. I am not one to repeat myself, but if I must. Will you give me the pleasure of a dance at the balling up in two days?¡±


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I stuttered, searching my head for words.


    ¡°I c-can only give you a dance if I attend the ball, and we both know I cannot. It would not be proper.¡±


    ¡°I do not care about propriety in the eyes of the nobility.¡±


    He held my hand, the warmth of his fingers seeping into mine. ¡°All I care about is you. I want to show them all that you are not just any ve You are the woman I¡­¡± he trailed off.


    I wanted to ask what he meant, to get him to say those words that seemed to hang on the tip of his tongue, but I let it go merely because I could barely form a sentence.


    ¡°The point is, I need someone there with me, someone who is not stuck up like the rest of high society. Someone I can have a little fun with.¡±


    ¡°And for some reason you believe it should be me?¡± I bit my lip, feeling the blood rush back in when I let it go.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°It is not proper, Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What will I even wear? How am I meant to act? And look at my belly. There are a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°All which I would answer in good time. The only thing I say to you is this: Do you trust me, ra?¡±


    His question made my mind stop for a few seconds. I thought back on our every interaction since the very day we met. If there was one thing that drew me to him, it was his honesty.


    I nodded slowly. ¡°I trust you.¡± he smiled. ¡°Good. Because we are going into town now to get you a dress.¡±


    ¡°What? Now?¡± I chuckled at how flustered I grew at his words.


    ¡°Yes,  we are going right away.¡±


    ¡°Oh God,  Ryan,  you are so hard headed.¡±


    The ball


    Nervous anticipation gripped me as the carriage rolled through the grand hall¡¯s extensive grounds. I felt a sense of gratitude towards Ryan for lending me his extra carriage, and asking Henry to look after me for the evening. It was an act of kindness that provided me with a hint offort in the midst of my anxiety.


    As the carriage came to a halt, I took a deep breath and gathered myposure. Thedies from the surrounding carriages began to whisper, their curious gazes fixed upon me the very second I stepped down from the carriage. I felt bare to their stares, but I tried to ignore their prying eyes, my head held high, and made my way towards the imposing entrance of the mansion.


    The murmurs followed me as I crossed the threshold, but I willed myself to remain unfazed. I was determined to rise above their petty judgments and embrace the evening with grace. Ryan was waiting for me there, and I wasn¡¯t ready to disappoint. Following the directions I had been given by Henry and the fact that I had scrubbed the ground before we arrived, I navigated the opulent corridors, guided by the strains of music that grew louder with each step.


    Finally, I reached the grand ballroom, its doors standing tall and imposing. I gave the uniformed  man that stood at the entrance a smile and my name. His stern expression softened slightly as he announced my presence to the room, and I could feel my smile slip at the split second of utter silence that followed. The moment hung in the air, and I could feel the weight of their gazes on me.


    A pang of unease flickered in me as I noticed the room start to buzz with murmurs and whispers. Their eyes seemed to possess des and cut me open, scrutinising every aspect of my being. Maybe it was my ordinary name that had stirred their intrigue, but I refused to let their obvious disdain dampen my spirit.


    Summoning my courage, I stepped forward, my eyes scanning the room until they found him. Ryan. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase, his striking blue eyes fixed on mine. The whispers faded into a distant murmur as our eyes locked. Maybe it was the sound of the music, maybe it was the air in the room, but something was drawing us to each other.


    I didn¡¯t fight it.

 Chapter Thirty- Two: Our Last Dance

    The grand ballroom was aze with a dazzling array of lights, the chandeliers casting a mesmerising glow on the first set of dancing couples for the night right in the middle of the room. Jewellery glowed everywhere I looked, on the necks and wrists of thedies, and on the suits of the men too. It was a really disorienting sight.


    As I mingled through the crowd, a ss of wine in hand, letting him fulfil his duty as the Alpha King with each gracious greeting. It was an exhausting task, navigating the sea of faces, engaging in polite conversation, and maintaining a smile and an air of effortless charm. But I understood the importance of these social gatherings, the obligations that came with my position.


    Even if I disliked the noblemen and women who tried to kiss up to him, and to introduce him to their demure daughters.


    As the room hummed with lively chatter, a hush fell over the crowd. Curious at the sudden silence, I turned my gaze toward the grand staircase.


    My breath caught in my throat and I had to remind myself how to breathe.


    There he was, like a radiant vision materialising before my eyes.


    A smile, unbidden and all too real, tugged at the corners of my lips as I beheld his gorgeousness. His tuxedo, a delicate masterpiece of blue, was the perfectbination of full yet slender frame. The soft glow of the candlelight caressed his features, highlighting the warmth in his eyes and the softness of his smile. He was absolutely ravishing.


    His smile slipped as the herald announced to me.


    I bristled at the murmurs that erupted around me, but I calmed myself and shot him an encouraging smile. I worried about my lip for a second but I returned the smile.


    As I descended the staircase, the room seemed to fade away, my attention solely focused on him. The whispers of the crowd became a distant murmur, and time itself slowed. His every step was a dance, his presence captivating all who saw him.


    My heart quickened its pace within my chest, a mixture of admiration and affection filling up the spaces in my mind. I wanted to hold him in my arms, to lose myself in the depths of his eyes. But for now, I could only observe from a distance, drawn by his mere presence.


    I made my way down the staircase and through the small crowd at the bottom to me, his grace and poise drawing the attention of all. As he neared, I steadied myself, ready to greet him with the warmth that only he could bring to my voice. Our eyes met, and a hint of mirth swam there.


    ¡°Good evening, Ryan,¡± I greeted him.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to see you here tonight.¡±


    He took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft, lingering kiss. ¡°The pleasure is mine, dear ra¡± he replied, his voice filled with a tenderness that I could not contain. ¡°You look absolutely enchanting. This ball is made brighter by your presence.¡±


    I was sure the blush had painted my cheeks, enhancing the natural radiance, but I truly wanted tough out loud. ¡°You tter me, Ryan¡± is all I said. ¡°But I assure you, the honour is all mine.¡±


    His hand extended towards me, a silent invitation that I readily epted. He swept me into the dance, moving away from the judgmental crowd. For the moment they were of little to no importance. All I wanted was my dance.


    We found ourselves entwined in the dance, the world around us fading into insignificance. With every step, every twirl, we moved as if in a world of our own, the whispers of the crowd drowned out by the rhythm of our hearts and the weaving strains of piano, harp and violin.


    In that moment, I realised that their opinions, their judgments, were inconsequential. It was the connection between Ryan and I that mattered above all else. Their whispers could not tarnish the bond I felt, the love that flourished despite the barriers that society imposed on me.


    I felt heavenly and danced beautifully, not that I expected any less. I couldn¡¯t speak at first, because no words could convey just how wonderful it felt to dance with him.


    As we swayed to the music, our eyes locked, I knew that I had made the right choice honouring his invitation.


    I was actually having fun.


    ¡°Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?¡± he whispered as I whirled into his arms and whirled out again.


    I smiled. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That is because beautiful, radiant, these words cannot cover the depths of your beauty. You are transcendent.¡±


    Iughed as I gave in a small spin. ¡°You are very loose with thepliments tonight, Ryan. I would be afraid I would get a swollen head, but the disdain in the people around us is enough to cool me down, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°Them? Narrow minded people, all of them, blind to the best qualities of the people that they see as beneath them. Why don¡¯t we give them something to really talk about?¡± he asked as he dipped me again.


    ¡°That would be perfect.¡±


    He held me close so that I felt his warm breath in my ear, with my eyes shut the peace returned and for once I truly exhaled feeling at ease.  Just as I opened my eyes again,  I sighted Patricia at a corner watching us, she had no smile gracing her lips which only caused a surge that was rather too electrifying through me.


    ¡­


    At the early hours of the morning, the door¡¯s hinges shook vehemently causing it to vibrate as loud bangs from outside resounded throughout the room. I jerked crawling out of bed as soon as I could heading towards the door. With the waves of thoughts that cascaded through my mind like a rush of the winds my hands trembled as I thought of who or what could be behind the door. The holes from the cracks of the door were not big enough for a see through which I so much wished that I would see even a glimpse of who that would be. But then somewhere along the line, I knew that I would still have to open it. Maybe there was a fire outbreak somewhere that I had no idea about but I quickly waved off that thought as I didn¡¯t sniff the burning smell of burnt wood or burnt flesh. I held the door knob firmly trying to hold them back from trembling, at some point it worked for a while but in split seconds, it returned only worse as the knock only got more intense.


    ¡°ra! You have to open up, I know that you are in there and you can hear me.¡±


    I heard the voice calling from outside, it was familiar and so I quickly turned the knob opening it up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why did you take so much to open the door?¡± She asked as soon as she rushed in.


    ¡°The bangs were too loud and I kind of got scared. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of urgency.¡±

 Chapter Thirty- Three: The Plot

    ¡°Are you okay?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, I am but I overheard Lady Ana tell some of the guards about the evacuation of some ves.¡±


    ¡°What do they mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, if I knew, I would certainly not be in this state. But I think that they want to ship out some ves to another location and bring in new ves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous. They should only give the people who have been here for a very long time their freedom. Maybe that¡¯s what the evacuation is about.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too until I overheard your name amongst the people being taken away to a new location.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡±


    ¡°Look ra, I fear what they want to do to you. If you truly love this man, you should listen to him and move into the manor as his lover and for you to have immunity against the wrath of Lady Ana. If you stay out here with the rest of us, you would always be seen as a ve. I can see in his eyes that he likes you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe whatever he says Beth I know his type.¡±


    ¡°I know Lady Ana is only doing this to get rid of you.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Beth. I would be fine, trust me and I am not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You sound so sure.¡±


    ¡°I am only here because Ryan owns me. I am here because of the bargain I made for my parents¡¯ life. So, I can¡¯t just be taken away because Lady Ana said so. No decision is taken here without Ryan¡¯s approval, right? So, if he wants me out then I would leave. For now, like I said, you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I see, I hope you are right.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The next few days passed and everything was calm. I went ahead with the daily chores and I continued to avoid Ryan and Lady Ana¡¯s presence. I needed space and time away from theplications that I had caused amongst them even with Ryan assurance I still knew I was far from being with him as I did not want to be the cause of Patricia¡¯s rejection. But I had no idea that the peace I felt was short-lived. on the brisk of the early hours of the day when the sky still had its dark blue appearance. A soft tap on the door dragged me out of bed as I strolled towards it to get it open. Surprisingly, Lady Ana stood by the door with two guards beside her.


    ¡°Lady Ana, what a surprise, isn¡¯t it a bit early for a chore? I said scrubbing sleep off my eyes.


    ¡°This is not a chore call,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then what is this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you will find out soon. Take her!¡± She ordered.


    ¡°Wait what? Where have I been taken to?¡±


    The two guards rushed for me pulling me through my hands.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I struggled even when I knew that it was all in vain.


    After so much pulling through I finally got my hands and finally freed myself from the grip of these men, moving away from them.


    ¡°Where are you taking me to? You can¡¯t just take me out like that. At least I deserve to know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine. You want to know? I would tell you. Well, we are moving some ves to a new location and unfortunately, you have been chosen to be one of them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, am I the only one being moved?¡±


    ¡°You will find out soon.¡±


    ¡°What have I done wrong to deserve this? Last I checked I have been in very good behaviour.¡±


    ¡°It was an anonymous choice.¡±


    ¡°Does Ryan know about this? I am getting pretty heavy and he advised me to reduce doing some tedious jobs.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any job for you to do at least not yet, so don¡¯t be afraid your baby is safe and of course nothing is done here without his knowledge and if you are wondering why, you have been selected, he handpicked you himself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bloody lie. Ryan would never want me gone,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Oh darling, you really do think that he likes you yeah? Why would you even think that he would want anything to do with a hard head like you? A pregnant one at that.¡±


    ¡°I never said I wanted that. I just thought that he should know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? He knows!¡¯ She yelled.


    ¡°Okay¡­okay I get that.¡± I had begun to get tense and then it urred to me what Beth had said a few days ago and once again, I had proven to be stubborn. Maybe I would have confronted Ryan about this if he really wanted me gone, I would not entirely put it all on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early, why do we have to go so early?¡±


    We are leaving this early because it¡¯s when I want the ves delivered. The earlier the better. What are we even doing having this conversation?¡±


    ¡°Take her, we have wasted a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking me to?¡± I asked but they said nothing, only taking me towards a carriage that awaited until we got closer. There were a few other older ves waiting to be shipped as well. As I got closer to the carriage fear gripped me as to whaty ahead me. I have not imagined being dragged out of a good sleep to be taken by a carriage out of there. I wanted to be told it was a prank and go back to bed or be told that it was just a bad dream.


    ¡°Get in,¡± she said as I moved forward, I heard footsteps approach us.¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    I turned to find Ryan with some guards.


    ¡°It¡¯s the evacuation sire.¡±


    ¡°This early?¡¯ He turned towards me, ¡°ra?¡± He called out and I rushed towards taking his arms in mine.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°She came to my room and told me I had been handpicked by you to be taken away.¡±


    ¡°What? Ana, I never said the evacuation was for younger ves.¡±


    ¡°Oh sir, there must have been a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Please fix this,¡± he instructed, walking in as I followed beside him. But before I faced the opposite direction, I caught Lady Ana¡¯s stern gaze.


    ¡­


    ¡°Care for a cup of hot cinnamon tea? It would help with the cold.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure.¡±


    After a short while, he arrived with two mugs of hot steamy tea.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I retrieved from him taking in my first few sips.


    ¡°I thought I would be taken away.¡±


    ¡°I still wonder why she would make such a mistake. If you didn¡¯te out, maybe you would be halfway there by now,¡± he chuckled but I did not find it funny in any way as I was scared to my bones.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not a mistake?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, maybe it¡¯s just a misunderstanding like you said. Where are the older ves taken to?¡±


    ¡°Outskirt of town.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Most of them do not have a family and they are getting too old for the daily tedious work. I wouldn¡¯t call it getting their freedom but it¡¯s something of that sort because they would be going to a ce of rest.¡±

 Chapter Thirty- Four: The New Room

    Patricia walked in on us walking towards Ryan.


    ¡°Ryan what happened? My mother does not seem to be in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°Well you should ask her. She nearly made a mistake that could have affected us for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What went wrong? She has served this family for decades, and had never been ipetent. What happened? What went wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was to be shipped during the evacuation,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, all this is because of her? I thought it was something more.¡±


    ¡°Is that not enough reason?¡± Ryan nearly shouted.


    ¡°Hey slow down mister. I didn¡¯t mean to get you all walked up. Anyway Ryan, what would we be doing today? I was thinking I could take you about town. So we can do something fun and more modern.¡± She rested beside him.


    ¡°I have a couple of things up my sleeve, the werewolf council would be holding up a meeting and I need to be in attendance. I¡¯m sorry, I would need to cancel.¡±


    ¡°You would be travelling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for a few days, I would be back before you even know I was gone,¡± he shed me a smile.


    ¡°Maybe I shoulde with you,¡± Patricia insisted.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s a very crucial meeting and the journey might not be too rosy. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with your mother but I need her full strength in handling things around here while I am gone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll let her know that and I am also here for you.¡±


    ¡°And please remind her about ra¡¯s new room.¡±


    Then he turned toward me.


    ¡°What?¡± Patricia and I said simultaneously.


    ¡°ra is moving into the building.¡±


    ¡°But why? She is your ve and should remain with the ves.¡±


    ¡°Ryan,  I really shouldn¡¯t move in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys but arrangements have been made and there is no going back on this.  Look at you, with that growing belly,  don¡¯t you fear for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I do but¡­¡±


    ¡°Ryan?  What is this madness that you are pulling out here?¡±


    ¡°Can you not see that she is pregnant?¡±


    ¡°The pregnancy isn¡¯t yours and you should have no business with her!  What the fuck is wrong with you?!¡±


    ¡°Patricia!¡± Ryan barked; it sounded more like a roar.


    ¡°You would not be disrespectful!¡±


    Patricia stumbled aback as he watched Ryan speak to her in rage. My heart skipped a bit as he walked out on us fuming. I had certainly not seen him in such a mood before.


    ¡°Ryan has never yelled at me before,¡± she said in a low tune and I almost felt sorry for her. She turned towards me and approached me.


    ¡°But he just yelled at me because of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,  I didn¡¯t know that he would do that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t say that! What did you do to him?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°You lying cunt. I know you have done something to him. I have known Ryan for year¡¯s,  so many years and I have never seen him in that mood before until now,  because of you. Oh ra,  you haven¡¯t seen thest of me.¡±


    Those were her final words before walking out.


    ¡°Oh Ryan,  why did you have to do this?  You have only made matters worse. I should have known all along from the first time I met Lady Ana.¡± I muttered resting on the couch.


    Ryan did not let the guards bring in my old stuff from the other room. The room was just as I imagined a big space with its wide walls and hit end ceiling and for the first time in a long while, it felt like I was home again.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as thest maid ced in the few supplies in the inner bathroom she had a glint in her eyes that could mean that I was indeed lucky to have found favour in Ryan¡¯s sight,  but she said nothing. Maybe she had beenpelled not to talk to me. As soon as I heard the door close in itstch,  I approached the bed,  a wide range of puffiness just for me. Compared to the nearly invisible bed in my cabin.  I wondered who would take the room now,  who would share in the bed I had been on for months and walk the grounds cutting her flesh on the edges of the broken tiles.


    I pressed my hands on the bed feeling it¡¯s cosiness against my palm, it¡¯s delicate feel like the velvet of a cushion. It bounced back to me a wonderful texture that only engulfed my hands. But before I could finally sink my already tired body into its blossom,  I needed to survey the bathroom as well,  it was just as I hoped.  With a ceramic bathtub where I would say to myself on hot days sipping from a ss of cold wine. Its smell of rose petals already reminded me of a bath that I should treat myself to washing away all the agony of very. Even if I knew I had reached the peak of freedom,  it only felt like a mirage that could disappear if I closed my eyes for too long. It was like the rain drops on the stacks of the rice nt in dry seasons, that would evaporate once the sun was up.  But nevertheless,  It was worth every trial,  I needed to bask in its ambience and thrive while itsted. Patricia and Lady Ana could be curled up somewhere weeping but I never knew them as one who wouldment and stay back to lick I¡¯d won¡¯t.  They could be cooking something else much more words than they had earlier done,  I didn¡¯t know I could only guess and the thought of that caused the fear to arise again.


    ¡°Hey ra,¡± I turned to find Ryan beside with a smile stretching out on his lips.


    ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to know that you like your new room.¡±


    ¡°Yes,  I do,  it¡¯s lively but you really didn¡¯t have to Ryan.¡±


    ¡°And why not? Watch you suffer with the rest of the ves?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s what I am.¡±


    ¡°Well,  I am pleased to tell you that it¡¯s all in the past now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,  I still don¡¯t feel okay about this.¡±


    ¡°Well you should get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me sir,¡± Henry walked in.


    ¡°Yes, Henry.¡±


    ¡°The carriage is ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay thank you.  I will be out shortly.¡±


    He responded as Henry nodded and walked out.


    ¡°You are leaving already?¡±


    ¡°Yes,  it¡¯s a few days trip and I will be back before you know it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,  thank you so much for all of this.¡±


    ¡°You know you deserve more. I need to get going now,¡± he threw in a kiss on my lips as he headed out.


    I stood by the balcony watching as he walked towards the carriage and soon the horses galloped away into the road leaving just the dust of his absence to fill the air. As I looked a little above towards the other end of the balcony I met Patricia piercing gaze on me which reminded me of my plight without a shield or protector. I turned back into the room as I headed to bed to sleep.

 Chapter Thirty- Five: A warm Pat

    A warm pat caressed my legs taking me out of bed as my eyes struggled to keep open.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out, still unable to see clearly as the room had now had its gloomy edges as the night came.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me.¡±


    I rushed out of bed, almost falling over as soon as my eyes became less sleepy.


    ¡°Patricia, what are you doing here? How did you get in?¡±


    ¡°The door was open. After a knock and you didn¡¯t respond, I tried the door knob and it opened. I realised you might have forgotten to lock.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I could hear a slight quiver in my voice as I moved back, finding my way out of bed.


    ¡°I came to check up on you.¡±


    ¡°What? Why do you want to check up on me? I thought you didn¡¯t like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like you? Of course I don¡¯t. I mean who would like the woman who has stolen the heart of her best friend from her?¡± She chuckled, sounding unusually calm.


    ¡°Did Lady Ana put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°And why would my mother do that when she had tons of things to do keeping the manor in ce now that Ryan is out of town? This is all me and a bit of Ryan though.¡±


    ¡°Ryan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he asked that I look after you. So that¡¯s why I am here. Sorry if I scared you.¡±


    ¡°No,  this must be some prank.¡±


    ¡°Rx ra. It is almost dinner time,  I know that you should be starving. What would you like to have for dinner so I can have the chef prepare it for you? Maybe I can have them serve you here if you want.¡±


    I watched as she spoke, her eyes no longer holding the hurt that they did.  Could she be real and the childish hurt of having to see another woman with her boyfriend finally left her? I so much wanted to believe her so I would finally breathe in a breath of real fresh co-sleeping with two eyes closed without the thought of anyone wanting to harm me.


    ¡°Hello?¡± She called out again and I turned to face her, forcing a smile.


    ¡°I know that you would find it hard to believe that I have changed but I never really hated you.  I just wanted to be sure that you were good for him. You do like him right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay you don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to.  So about the meal, are you in?¡±


    ¡°Patricia,¡± I finally found my words again, ¡°Thank you very much for your kind words and gesture but I think I¡¯d pass for the night. I still feel a bit tired and I think I should return to bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s fine,  if that¡¯s what you want. But I was only considering the safety of your child. Look I know that you don¡¯t trust me enough and it¡¯s fair to think so considering the fact that I had been a jerk for a while. But I like Ryan too much to want to hurt the woman that he cares about. Ryan and I have been friends since I knew how to say my name. I don¡¯t want anything to ruin that.¡±


    ¡°I am not taking Ryan from you. I can¡¯t take away the many years you have spent with him. It¡¯s impossible, I see the way you are with him and I wish that I had that in someone.  Although I used to.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, her name was Racheal. We did everything together.¡±


    ¡°Why talk in past tense?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s all in the past now. They are just memories, memories that I would cherish until it is all forgotten.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty long story that I wish to tell some other time.¡±


    I didn¡¯t intend to open so much now, I was still on the verge of buying her trust.


    ¡°I think I would eat.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Finally!  I should let the chef know at once.  What would you like to have so I can ry it to them?¡±


    ¡°You know what? You don¡¯t have to. I think I¡¯d have to show a little of my culinary skills. It¡¯s been a while,  it will be all rusty by now.¡±


    ¡°That would be fantastic,  I wonder what skills you have up your sleeves.¡±


    ¡°Wait, till you see,¡± I said, getting out of bed.


    ¡°I seriously can¡¯t wait.¡±


    The memory from when I was dragged off from stealing food resurfaced as soon as I stepped into the kitchen,  most of the chefs had retired for the day. A few of them left who showed me where most of the ingredients were kept as I made some boiled rice and chicken broth sauce.


    The sweet aroma filled the entire kitchen as everyone with free ess to the kitchen woulde and peek on who the new chef was.


    ¡°You are really a good cook.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even tasted the food yet.¡±


    ¡°The aroma alone is worth dying for already. I wonder what other skills you have up your sleeves.¡±


    ¡°Not much though.  I have always wanted to be more advanced in the world of science and also take up more cooking sses until everything changes.¡±


    ¡°What changed?¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    I froze on hearing her voice, Lady Ana. She was the only one left to buy into my happiness. As much as I understood where she wasing from,  I still wanted to be able to feel a little at ease whenever I was around her.


    ¡°Hey Mum, ra was just showing me a little of her cooking skills and from what I can perceive here,  I think that she is really good at it.  What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Patricia, are you seriously asking me that?¡± She barked and I knewing down to cook was only a bad idea and a figment of the imagination that I would finally be epted and appreciated even for a little bit.


    ¡°Have youe to steal another food from the kitchen again?¡± She turned towards me as I hid away.


    ¡°Mum,e on,  you don¡¯t have to be like that.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what he sees in you though.¡± With those words, she walked in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, I know how mother can be when ites to matters like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,  she¡¯s right though,  I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°ra for once I would tell you not to listen to what she said.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why she doesn¡¯t seem to like me. It¡¯s  not like everyone would eventually like me but at least not with so much lever of hate. ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hate though and I am not saying this because we are family. But I do know why she acts the way that she does towards you,  it¡¯s nothing far from the way that I did as well.¡±


    ¡°y?¡±


    ¡°You know watching us grow up,  Ryan and I,  she has always thought that we would end up together.¡±


    ¡°I see, I guess I understand then.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope what you are cooking is almost ready because I am famished.¡±


    ¡°About that, while we were talking I kind of added a little too much spice.¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    Even with the extra spice and the nostalgic feeling of having to talk to Patricia that much, the food tasted well just the way mother used to prepare it with her extra special spice.


    ¡°You really like him,  don¡¯t you?¡±


    I ignored the question but couldn¡¯t help the smile that crept on my lips.


    ¡°Oh,  I see that glint.¡±


    ¡°What glint?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The one that says that you do like him.¡±


    ¡°Well,  Ryan is a good man, although he was a bit of a jerk from the beginning,¡± I paused and stared at her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t feelfortable talking to you about this.¡±


    ¡°Look, I understand ra.  But what I have for Ryan is just brotherly love like he said the other time. It took me a while to realise this though but it¡¯s the truth. So feel free to speak to me. We are on the same side. And this tastes even better than it smells,¡± she said in-between a mouth full.


    Maybe I could have read through a little bit more before feeling all rxed and epting that I have found a friend in her.

 Chapter Thirty- Six: Breakfast in Bed

    ¡°Morning ra.¡±


    The voice echoed in my head as I struggled to keep awake.


    ¡°What?¡± I opened my eyes to find Patricia by the door holding a tray in her grip, her lips stretched out as a beautiful smile graced them.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    The dishes oozed a sweet smell that rushed into my nostrils as I inhaled.


    ¡°Surprise¡­ surprise. I brought you breakfast in bed, your royal highness,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Oh Patricia, you really do not have to go through all that stress for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, who said I made them,¡± she chuckled, ¡°but after what you did yesterday showcasing your skills, I decided that I should try a few tricks of my own.¡±


    ¡°So, you did make them.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Have a taste of my delight. Patricia¡¯s special.¡±


    ¡°I sure would. Those are pancakes right? Smells like strawberry topped pancakes.¡±


    ¡°You smelled right. Here you go she ced the tray on the top of the bedside drawer.


    It had been less than a day and I had already begun to feel the love that blossomed and I wished for nothing more than for it to be longsting.


    ¡°Thanks Patricia.¡¯


    ¡°You are highly weed. So, tell me, what are your ns for today?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have been used to the life of working daily being stationed to different work sites, following instructions and all, and now I kind of feel purposeless.¡±


    ¡°I think we should go out shopping, maybe we could have a few drinks, it would be fun. We could have a clear glimpse of the market and maybe the town.¡±


    The idea sounded like a well-cooked n for a day, a good one at that but I sure wasn¡¯t ready to leave town, I still didn¡¯t know why but somehow it felt as though I would be leaving with Ryan¡¯s consent. I still feltpelled to him, after all he had only given me a room in the manor and not given me my whole freedom. Even if he did, I knew right now that I would have to think better before leaving. Somehow, I felt I had found myself a home.


    ¡°Ryan has done a good job taking me around,¡± I said watching the new expression grow on her face. It was like an admixture of being surprised and concerned, I wouldn¡¯t me her for having such a look.


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had seen a couple ces in this town, it¡¯s such a big town but he had advised that we do not go beyond borders.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then we should obey his rules then.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s so kind of you. I appreciate the kind gesture.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ryan will be back tomorrow, so I was thinking that you should do something for him.¡±


    ¡°Something like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, like a gesture to show that you care about him or do you not?¡±


    ¡°Well, I do but¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no buts, this will only make him feel special. This is a great idea. I think you should buy into it. What are you scared of anyway?¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t feel exactly the way that you think that he feels for me?¡±


    ¡°Oh please, have you seen the way that he looks at you?¡±


    ¡°How does he look at me?¡±


    ¡°Quit pretending, you are smart. I know that you have noticed a few times the way that he looks at you.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s something else?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon ra, something else like what?¡±


    ¡°Like maybe mere pity.¡±


    ¡°You know very well that that¡¯s not it. I have known him for many years and I have never seen him look at someone in that way before. So, he definitely likes you.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this special thing that you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°I have been waiting for that question all morning,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Seems like you have already gotten it all nned out.¡±


    ¡°Not really, but I think I have an idea of something you can do. It would not require a lot but it would certainly speak volumes when he sees that you actually thought about something like that.¡±


    ¡°But truth to be told I didn¡¯t think of anything like that, you did.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it would be our little secret. No one would have to know whose idea it was.¡±


    ¡°So, tell me, what is this big idea, my ears are itching.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear, you prepared something very delicious for dinner yesterday, why don¡¯t you do the same for his arrival, I mean you can serve it to him in his chambers.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­no, I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°First, I can¡¯t just go into the kitchen again after what happened and then what if he doesn¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°Let my mother not be an issue, I¡¯ll talk to her, she listens to me and besides it¡¯s just one meal. And Ryan would love it. All you must do is serve it to his chambers, that¡¯s all, maybe for some reason you feel too tired to cook, you can let one of the best chefs handle it but then, you have to serve it to him yourself.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ryan would love it. It would only mean that you care about him.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I would do it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, now I have the perfect idea of what you should prepare for him.¡±


    ¡°I think that broth would be great to make for him.¡±


    ¡°No¡­no not the broth. An apple pie.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, I mean if I am to make him something and serve it myself to him, I should choose the meal myself don¡¯t you think.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know but would you want to make something that he would not find interesting and tasty?¡±


    ¡°The broth was nice, you said it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ryan would not like that. He always likes his apple pies made with freshly cut apples and I think some grow in the orchard. We should go get some.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay, it¡¯s the apple pie then.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Enjoy your breakfast, I will be back in a few hours¡¯ time so we can go pick up those apples.¡±


    ¡°Yes okay, thanks again for this.¡±


    I watched the ves tilling heavily into the soil, with their raggedy look as the sun burnt their skins. A few days ago I was no different from them, with my aching back and my feet that were heavy.


    ¡°ra, I heard a voice from a distance and as such turned towards it. it was Beth she approached from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Hey Beth, it had been days and I was happy to see her, but as they drew close, the guards stopped her from pulling her down.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± Patricia barked at her.


    ¡°Hey Patricia, calm down. It is Beth, she is a friend.¡±


    ¡°You should not allow the ves toe close to you.¡±


    ¡°Please let her go. She is a friend.¡±


    ¡°They did as I had requested and Beth became free from their grip as she turned back to leave.¡±


    ¡°Hey Beth, slow down; I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I need to go back to my duty post.¡±


    ¡°I know but can you please listen to me for a bit?¡± I hurried towards her.¡±


    ¡°Stay away from me.¡±


    ¡°Come on Beth, You supported the idea of me moving in, right? Why the attitude now?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are walking with her and even talking to her,¡± she turned towards me.


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t believe it too.¡±


    ¡°I thought she didn¡¯t like you?¡±


    ¡°Thought so too,¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you doing with her?¡±


    ¡°I guess people change,e on Beth, she has proven to be a good friend.¡±


    ¡°Listen ra, you should know better by now that no one really does change overnight. Can you not see that she has something up her sleeves?¡±


    ¡°Beth, you would not use Patricia of anything. We talked and she opened about a lot of things stating why she had been angry from the beginning and I understood everything. Look, I am tired of living a life of hate and pain. I just want to be happy and at peace with everyone. Please can you not be happy for me?¡±


    ¡°I cannot be happy seeing you walk into a trap.¡±


    ¡°Why am I even bothered about your opinion? You don¡¯t even know me and neither do I know you.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God ra did you just say that to me.¡±


    ¡°But that is the truth,¡±


    ¡°You are so unbelievable; I hope you know what you are doing ra. And it wouldn¡¯t be toote before you realise the truth.¡±


    ¡°This is the truth Beth, I have finally found peace, get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I sure will.¡±


    She walked back as I hurried to meet up with Patricia who had continued the walk to the orchard after she had waited for a little while.

 Chapter Thirty- Seven: The Set Up

    Everything went ording to n, Patricia had just the right recipe for the apple pie and soon it was all set. And as it was, the feeling returned again, the one that only spelled that everything might go wrong.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Hey,  you aren¡¯t developing cold feet now are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Hey,  ra. Okay look,  picture this as though you are just showing some kind gesture okay?  After all that¡¯s all that is what it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes,  are you sure he will be returning today?¡±


    ¡°You heard him yourself,  it¡¯s a three day trip, he never stays longer than expected so rest your mind he will be here.¡±


    I exhaled deeply, forcing out a smile.  The chefs returned to the kitchen after we had used it for a while,  in the grip of the head chef was a pale of freshly picked apples just like the one that we had picked earlier to make the apple pie.


    ¡°What are the apples for?¡± Patricia asked as soon as she sighted them bring it in as well.


    ¡°For dinner,  ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see,  so what would you guys be making for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Apple pie.¡±


    ¡°What?  This is Thursday you don¡¯t make apple pies on the first Thursday.¡±


    ¡°That was in the old menu.¡±


    ¡°Old menu? When was it changed?¡±


    ¡°A couple of weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Who might have done that?¡±


    ¡°Lady Ana.¡±


    ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t know about this?¡± She muttered moving away as I walked towards her.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a perfect n right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure as long as you serve it to him,¡± she smiled which somehow calmed me.


    As the guard Patricia had informed us to keep tabs on Ryan¡¯s arrival approached us, I knew just what he wanted to say.


    ¡°He has arrived Ma¡¯am,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh Ryan is here.¡± Patricia announced.


    Although he had returned and had retired to his chambers,  I had not seen him yet. ording to the n I would not see him until I was well prepared to bring the food to him in his chambers.  I didn¡¯t quite know what Patricia had meant by the word prepared before she sent me to my room.


    As soon as I got into the room It seemed the air was not enough to saturate my sinking lungs anymore as I paced around. I had grown nervous thinking twice now about everything.


    It¡¯s just a kind gesture now isn¡¯t it?


    What if he doesn¡¯t feel the way that I thought that he felt and then saw me as desperate or over stroking my boundaries.  But the signs were there so garlic like the sun in the midday itself. We had shared a lot in thest few months that Patricia could even testify to it. As I wandered around I knew time was of essence ording to her. I needed to  waste time before Ryan would choose toe out for dinner. It was supposed to be like a surprise and any dy might ruin it.  She had offered to stay back with the chefs in the kitchen watching over the food before I would arrive to take it.


    Here goes nothing.


    I walked out of the room heading towards the kitchen but as soon as I got there, Patricia was not at the spot she said she would be.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I called out to one of the chefs.  Do you know where she might have gone? She was supposed to hold onto a tray containing goods for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see anyone here but those are different ways of apple pie.¡±


    ¡°No,  I mean the specific one that we made together,  it was in a fancy tray of this sort,¡± I pointed to a tray there.


    ¡°Then that must be it.¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t, I am sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Then I would advise that you should wait until she returns; she might not be long.¡±


    I knew I should wait but time was not if essence and so I picked up a perfectly arranged tray which even looked better than the previous one heading towards Ryan¡¯s chambers after all, Patricia had said it didn¡¯t really matter if I had prepared it or not,  all that mattered was that I should serve it myself.


    I tapped slowly on the door as soon as I got close,  the more it took long for him to respond the more I free weary of the n and just when I have finallye to the conclusion that it was a bad n, I heard thetch of the door click from inside and Ryan stood with a wide grin watching me which only made me shy.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I managed to say after a while of just staring,  ¡°I made you some apple pie,  hungry?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s so lovely ra, I¡¯m starving and haven¡¯t had anything good to eat in days. And I really missed seeing your face, e in. Look at you glowing as ever.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess Patricia has really been doing a good job.  She has been all sweet and loving.¡±


    ¡°I told you she was a nice person,  you just needed time to get to know her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah you are right.¡±


    I ced the tray down the table as we both settled on the couch.


    ¡°This looks good,  smells good too. I bet it tastes better.¡±


    ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    I watched as he took in the first bite,  ¡°taste good too. Thanks for this, ra,¡± he said but his eyes did not leave mine even after I changed my gaze.


    ¡°So how was the trip?¡±


    ¡°Commendable, I gotta do what I wanted to do but that¡¯s not what I want to talk about now.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°How I missed hearing your voice and wishing I could see you even for a minute. You know the thought of you kept me afloat all through the time.¡±


    ¡°It was just three days.¡±


    ¡°But it felt like three years. Look ra, I know this might feel weird but¡­¡±


    I did not wait for the next word as I tentatively leaned in for a kiss, which he eagerly returned, itsted for a few seconds. After withdrawing from his lips, I gazed into his glittering eyes and recalled feeling his tenderness during one of my drowsy states ¨C even though I could not identify whose lips they belonged to at the time.


    ¡°I want you so freaking much.¡± He whispered, eyes locked with mine.


    My cheeks were on fire, I definitely wanted him too, I¡¯ve wanted him for a long while.


    When he backed me against the wall and wrapped an arm around my waist, I practically melted in his arms. His second hand cupped my face, making my heart flutter as he gently nudged my face upwards and lightly brushed my lips against mine.


    My lips parted and I let out a small sigh when he slightly pulled away, eyes still trained on my face, causing my insides to feel like it was on fire.


    ¡°You¡¯re so gorgeous.¡± He whispered and my heart flipped even more.


    When he leaned down to nt his lips over mine once again, I mewled into the kiss almost immediately because this time, it wasn¡¯t an innocent kiss, he outrightly plundered my mouth, like he wasying his im on it. I trembled against him, feeling like I¡¯d lose my footing prompted me to grasp his biceps and I moaned into the kiss, a sound which he swallowed down and tongued away.


    When he finally broke the kiss, I was gasping for breath. A gleaning look was in his eyes as he regarded me closely before leaning forward to brush a kiss against my forehead.


    I was aroused as I shyly ran my hands over his bare chest. I¡¯m so fucked.

 Chapter Thirty- Eight: The Last of Her

    I headed down the hallway, Patricia walked ahead in quick steps. Ever since that day after Ryan¡¯s return she had not let me see her avoiding every path that I followed. At first I did not seem to notice as I thought it was only a mere coincidence not until she had deliberately ignored my pleasantries.


    ¡°Patricia,¡± I called out to her not knowing how else to reach her. I had grown suspicious after the incident of five guards being diagnosed with food poisoning after eating some certain potion of Apple pie but I could still ce my thoughts as they felt as a bit extreme.


    ¡°Patricia,¡± I called out to her again,  rushing towards her until I had a grip of her shoulders which she immediately took my hands off turning towards me in a bloodshot stare.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Patricia? I have been calling you from a distance, did you not hear me?¡±


    ¡°And what if I did?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? You sound weird.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I came to thank you for the n the other day,  Ryan loved the gesture.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see, that¡¯s great,¡± She made to leave.


    ¡°Hold on,  why the cold responses,  I thought this was what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Of course but you don¡¯t listen, do you? No wonder you always end up stepping on toes you shouldn¡¯t have stepped on.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°You took the wrong apple pie to Ryan.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh that, when I returned, I didn¡¯t see the one you kept, especially him, so I took the one the chef prepared. Well I am grateful I took the one that I did because it turned out that a portion of Apple pie some guards had eaten that day was poisoned which made them sick for days. Patricia, was that the tray that you wanted me to personally serve to Ryan?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I noticed that after that day your attitude returned to how it used to be cold and painted. It made me wonder if you ever really meant well for me or it was just a lot to let me go down.¡±


    She said nothing.


    ¡°Your silence says it all. I should have listened to Beth but I am d that your n went sour.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what Ryan sees in you,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that he loves me regardless but why would you want to hurt him?¡±


    ¡°You served him the food,  you would be the one hurting him and not me. This n was supposed to work but you never listened to instructions.¡±


    ¡°And for once in my life,  I am d that I didn¡¯t. Ryan loves you, don¡¯t ruin that because of your selfish desires.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about me and what I share with Ryan.¡±


    ¡°I know enough to tell you to let this all go so someone won¡¯t end up getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°Someone will definitely end up getting hurt and I guess you know who that is,  you are smart ra.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Patricia I can¡¯t believe I trusted you. You are such a good actor, all those charades for a n?¡±


    ¡°What hurts most right now is that I have to live with the thought that I was actually nice to you and called you a friend.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what evil you have up your sleeves.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea, trust me. You  haven¡¯t seen thest of me, ra.¡±


    I have loved the fact that Ryan had loved the food idea and so I made arrangements for another but without Patricia this time.


    The hot chicken broth just as I had wanted with the same extra spice and a bowl of boiled rice. I wanted to watch his face as he savoured on the meal with the extra spiciness that would tingle his tongue.  How he would eat out on every bite and tell me how good I was and how he loved the meal. As I made it,  I made sure that I did not take my eyes off the meal just in case Patricia had a little more up her sleeves I sorely wanted ready for another drama.  All I craved was for another quiet night with him wrapped in his ambience and the aura of peace hovering around us.


    The meal rested well on the fancy dish as I set out with the tray. It had the orange pasty look with the sweet aroma oozing from it. This time, I did not have the admixture of feelings, that of a bit of anxiety and confusion on what his response would be when he sees me with the meal. It was ring now, his feelings towards me, everything seemed perfect between us and I didn¡¯t see much of Patricia anymore. Maybe she had finallye to ept her own reality that Ryan would always see her as a sister.


    With every step I drew closer to the door of his chambers, the edges of my lips stretched in an even wider smile. I imagined the look in those bright eyes when he would take in a morsel of the meal and the expressions that would be our reality as the extra spice would kick in. The conversations in between each munch, he loved to do that, savouring every bite of it while he would tell me how much he loved the meal. As I got closer, the anticipation grew from just mere thoughts as I craved for it to be a reality, I wanted to sit beside him again and watch him scoop from it. I would share from his own bite and his endless tales that seemed to add an extra vour to the meal.


    At that point, the hallway seemed farther than it usually was, it was as though I should run to him so it wouldn¡¯t be a degree cooler but I still needed to keep calm so I would appear before him without showing any bit of desperation. I walked down with the sound of the heels of my shoes against the marble ground as the only sound I could hear around. With every step, I felt closer to warmth and every thing that came with it. I beamed at nothing, takingrge deep, savouring breaths just at the thought of what was before me. The door of his chamber was a bit ajar as I got closer to it, although, it was a bit unusual because Ryan never left his door open unless it was being cleaned by the maids in the early hours of the day but it was a bit toote for that as it was already almost night fall.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I adopted a deep love-struck tone as I called out but there was no response and somehow, I had expected that.


    Where could I have gone? Could he fast asleep and appear too tired to eat? And then my ns would go sour.


    As the thought came, I quickly took it off my mind.


    Maybe he was in the inner chamber.


    I could settle for that.


    With my elbow, I opened the door as I made my way in. And just as though I was being struck by a full surge of lightning, a very familiar feeling but maybe even worse as it ran down my body. I found Ryan in a position I could have sworn I would never gaze upon even in a thousand years.

 Chapter Thirty- Nine: What She gazed Upon

    Watching Ryan curled up in the arms of his lover dug a hole in my heart. Patricia, indeed she was right, I had not seen thest of hoooooooooooo d. Oer. At that instant, my legs trembled and my hands suddenly felt too weak to hold on to the tray. It fell freely on the ground with a loud crash as the ceramic bowl of the chicken broth split into many pieces and the content spilled all over, just the way I had be.


    Ryan turned to find me there. My eyes met his, they wide stretched, his hands flew to his hair as he cussed underneath his breath and rolled into a sitting position. My eyes could be lying, perhaps, I wish it was. My cheeks shivered, hunching over as if choking down a sob. I felt my lips move apart but no words could fall from it. The sight drove me down memoryne again, the same scenario with Raymond and Racheal reyed over and over and for some reason, my eyes became too dry as tears refused to fall off, maybe it would be much better if it melted off my heart that was frozen with hurt.


    ¡°How¡­how could you even think of doing this to me after all that we shared together? I¡­I literally told you about everything that happened in my past and you mock me by repaying every action again.¡± I stuttered, choking down on my words.


    ¡°ra please, it¡¯s not what you think, she came¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you even trying to exin to her?¡± Patricia spoke, cutting him off.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I think right? And she put you up to this, wow, I thought you were a man that owned up to his responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°ra, you are really taking this too far.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, she seduced you right? An act of seduction, another very familiar term,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Look ra, I know you would not believe me but I am not Raymond or whatever you call him and I would never hurt you. This is just some misunderstanding that we can fix but you have to listen to me. Calm down and hear me out!¡±


    ¡°Oh I see, a misunderstanding, huh? I¡¯m not surprised,  I turned towards Patricia, ¡°I know this is what you have always wanted,  you can have him all to yourself I hope you are happy now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure,¡± she held Ryan¡¯s arm who shoved them off.


    Ryan struggled out of bed as he tried putting on his clothes.


    I stumbled back on my step as I retrieved backwards, I couldn¡¯t stand as the thought of my past still came as a reminder that I would never be happy again. For the second time, I felt I had been stripped of what mattered to me, the only thing on my mind was to leave and so I turned immediately spinning off as I headed towards the exit.


    ¡°Hey ra, please don¡¯t leave,¡± I heard his voice from a distance but my mind was made up. I could have stayed and listened to his lies or watched Patricia giggle as she watched me from the sides just as Racheal and Raymond had done to me months ago. I hurried off, totally forgetting about the child I was carrying, tears had finally found its way out as it clouded my eyes blocking most of my view but I still did not stop as I navigated through the stairs. And as though I was struck from within, a sharp pain grew from my abdomen and with every step I managed to take, it felt like I could die. I fell on my face with my hands over my belly as I tried to caress it. Maybe it would subside just as always but this time, its intensifying pain only rose as I felt a rush trickling down my thighs.


    Admitting all the pain I still forced my way crawling on the ground as I wished just for two things, to leave and never to see his face again or to die. I ran my palm in between my thighs to my face and was stunned by its reddishness on my palm.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡±  I gasped watching as the blood dripped .


    ¡°Oh no,¡± tears ran freely now. The hurt and the pain, an admixture of the worst things anyone could feel. If I had not given out my heart again maybe I would still be seated in my little cabin awaiting my child¡¯s arrival but now I knew something had died in me and so did I.


    At first,  it began with the distant beeping like a gentle distant chime and then gradually it became more incessant. At every interval it would vibrate the sales in my ears and then gradually I could see a white light as it shed on my eyes, my breathing had normalised, even as my sights were still very much blurry, I knew where I was as the smell of antiseptic and methted spirit rushed into my nostrils.


    ¡°She is awake,¡± I heard the voice from behind me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to move,  just rx. I would call the doctor,¡± one of the nurses said.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked as soon as the nurse walked out.


    ¡°You were hurt and so I took you to the hospital out of town.


    I ced my hands on my belly feeling the emptiness now as tears clogged to the side of my eyes.


    ¡°They were boys.¡±


    ¡°Boys?¡± I asked, sobbing.


    ¡°Yes,  the doctor said you could have twins in a couple of months.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    He reached for my hands as I took it away.


    ¡°Look ra, I am so sorry for what I made you go through. I know that this is all my fault and I do not deserve your forgiveness. But believe me when I said that nothing happened between Patricia and I.¡±


    ¡°Ryan please,  let¡¯s not make it any moreplicated than it already is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I want to be left alone.¡±


    ¡°But the doctor asked that someone should watch you.¡±


    ¡°You can tell one of the guards to step in.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to be here with you.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be somewhere else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Where would I rather be if not here by your side?¡±


    ¡°What about Patricia and her mother?  I do not want any more problems now,  I just want to be alone and survive this hurt that you have caused me,¡± my voice was weary as I forced words.


    ¡°I am so sorry, ra, I wish so much that you would believe me.¡±


    Warm tears from his eyes dropped on my hand.


    I said nothing as Iid stiff,  the nurse walked back in with the doctor as they began another examination.


    ¡°She is stable and recovering fast. Thisdy here is a really strong woman,  most women would not have survived such miscarriage. Please, look after her and report anything you find weird to the nurse who would ry it to me. With the speed of her recovery she would be discharged soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you doctor,¡± Ryan said and then the doctor turned to me,  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss but I am d you are okay.¡± He patted Ryan on his shoulders as he walked out.


    Silence eluded the room with just the beeping from the machine and my loud breathing. I did not want to see him even though every being of me wanted to, it still hurt me what he had done to me and it pained me that I still thought about him.


    ¡°ra,¡±


    ¡°ra, I know you can hear me,¡± he said moving closer,  I turned towards the window to avoid having any contact with him of any kind. I would have begged him to stay away from me but my strength had failed me and every struggle or argument would fall on deaf ears. My vulnerability to listen to his plea only built up rage that burned through my chest.


    How could he even stand there and call my name,  what was it that he wanted to say?


    ¡°I know you do not want to ever speak to me again and I would respect that, at least for now but I would be back. I would inform the doctor to get you a personal nurse that would look after you. Please be fine,  I can¡¯t stand watching you like this.¡±


    Even with his betrayal and washed up trust that I now had for him,  I still didn¡¯t want to be alone or in thepany of some strange nurse. Somehow,  I still found his voice soothing but I had lost the voice and words to call him back and asked him to stay. I turned to find him by the exit with his back facing towards the door. I wanted him to look at me again and say the same words to me,  calm and soothing, with the same rhythm and perhaps truth. But he did not turn back. Instead a nurse walked in with a smile which only ended up like a grimace.


    ¡°Hello ra, I¡¯m Grace and I have been assigned as your personal nurse,  you can call on me anytime by pressing this button,¡± she pointed to a button beside the bed that I had not noticed since I opened my eyes.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked as soon as she was done speaking.


    ¡°Who do you speak of?¡±


    ¡°Ryan, the alpha king.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry but I don¡¯t know who that is but I can go out there and see if I would find this Ryan you are talking about. Remember the button if you need anything urgent.¡±


    I had only waited a few minutes before she walked back in.


    ¡°I am sorry ra, but I was told he had left.  But he promised to be back as soon as he was done addressing the pack. But there is someone out there who imed to know and wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Someone else is out there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, should I call her in?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°She said her name is¡­ Lady Ana,  and she seemed nice.¡±


    Lady Ana? Thest person I had not thought to see at the moment.


    Hearing her name caused a thump in my heart,  I wondered why the machine doesn¡¯t pick that.


    What was she doing here?  Has shee to mock me?


    Thoughts clogged my already jagged mind as the reason for her visit didn¡¯t quite click.

 Chapter Forty: By the Hospital Bed: Clara

    ¡°Should I call her in?¡± The nurse¡¯s voice resounded in my head and I turned to face her.


    ¡°No,¡± I said coldly without moving my gaze. Tears gathered by the corners of my eyes awaiting a final push before it would flow away as most of me had done.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but she came with a lot of things that I think you should consider seeing first.¡±


    ¡°I do not want them; she should take it back.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°But they are nice things.¡±


    ¡°Then you can have them, but do as I have asked, send her away, do not let her in here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will send her away right away.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I called back as she turned towards me still wearing the smile, she had all morning. It was as though it was a mask that they were forced to put on every day of their life. A mask I knew I needed to get for myself as my chin could no longer hold a smile.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Did shee alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose. I didn¡¯t see anyone in there with her.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I am still in a critical state and I do not want to see anyone at the moment, can you tell her that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    After a few more minutes, she returned with the news that Lady Ana had gone and promised to return. Deep down I hoped that she would get hooked up in one of the activities in the manor and not return to the hospital.


    It piqued me to the depth of her sudden concern towards me. I might have lost a child but I still had my memory intact and from what I still remember we had never been on the same page.


    She wanted something; I could smell it. But I could noty my hands on anything for I was only helpless. I had no eyes or ears around.


    Every second I would not fail to remind myself of how much of a loner I had be even if I had refused to see it. I was the only stranger in a strangend, not Ryan, Lady Ana, or Patricia, not even the nurse who still held her sardonic smile.


    The idea of not knowing her intentions towards me dug a hole in my chest, an emptiness that loomed. What did she want from me?


    Or has she finallye to feel pity for me because of my loss? maybe it was some plot again to give a final warning or to say to my face that Ryan was never meant for me but for Patricia and he only felt pity for me as well, she could be right.


    Ryan had only changed towards me after I was chained to his bunk. He could have watched me as I slept on the cold ground with my joints and muscles locked, my skin pale, he might have stared at my face through the dim light while I buried my pains in sleep and seen the sadness on my fallen chin or watched how life was being sapped from me.


    My chapped lips could have been the reason he had offered me the extra ss of water. Now here Iy again, unable to speak without putting my abdomen through the pains again.


    Locked in my head with my gazes as the only window to the many things I thought in my head. I had been trapped inside with my will gone too. Moments like this only dragged me back to my first painful reality, Raymond.


    Perhaps if I had not met him, I would not have been subjected to this life of mystery. By now, I still might have attained my position as the Luna being as powerful and strong-willed as I had been trained by my father.


    Now I watched the world through the windows of my eyeballs, under the mercies of Ryan who could be in bed with Patricia again. Could I ever forgive him? Warm tears trickled down my cheek as Iy still on the bed.


    ****


    ¡°Hey ra, how are you?¡± I opened my eyes as soon as I heard his voice. Somehow, it was as though there was a spark within me that caused a bit of joy to resurface. But I still said nothing to him, instead, I turned in a different direction so I would not see his eyes again.


    ¡°ra? Babe?¡±


    ¡°Has she not said a word since?¡± He asked the nurse as she walked in.


    ¡°She has, in fact, we had a conversation a couple of minutes ago,¡± I eyed her as soon as I caught her eyes.


    ¡°Then I guess she still doesn¡¯t want to speak to me. I deserve that though,¡± he muttered under his breath but I could still hear him loud and clearly as I listened closely, I wanted to hear every single word he had to say down to his breath.


    Somehow, I needed him to share in my suffering, the grueling pain as well as the warmth that I felt whenever I saw him. I wanted him to feel that too and maybe a little bit more. Just at that point maybe then we would be close to being even.


    ¡°I think she wants to be left alone,¡± she added.


    ¡°Maybe you should give hers some time.¡±


    ¡°But I feel like I have given way too much, I really want to speak to her, I miss her. I miss you ra,¡± he faced me again. I fought so hard to hold back the tears this time.


    ¡°You know, I sent Lady Ana to bring in some fruits, the doctor said you could have some but she returned with it and said that you had asked her to leave.¡±


    Oh, so that was you, I should have known all along. At least it exins her visit now.


    I still did not respond and the nurse approached him with a pat on his shoulder.


    ¡°Sir, I think she is still in shock from what happened. I would advise that you should leave ande backter, maybe by then, she would be ready to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he said, ¡°but before I leave, I brought you this,¡± he dropped a book by the side of the bed.


    ¡°I came across it in my study and it reminded me of you. I want you to have it. you said it was thest copy left. That day, you called it special and you said that I was lucky. Well, I think you are very most precious to me than that book and I think that I am lucky to be a part of your life. I don¡¯t know if I would survive it if anything happened to you. You have made me see a part of myself that I have never seen before. You are the reason the pack is seeing a better side of me. You made that possible, it was all you. I am sorry for ever hurting you and putting you through everything that I have put you through. But please, give me a chance to make it all right with you. Just one chance let me treat you like the queen that you are. I¡¯ll be back here tomorrow to check up on you, even if you still don¡¯t want to speak to me ever again. I would make sure that you are fine and get better again,¡± he said as she walked out. Leaving emotions hovering around the room.

 Chapter Forty-one: The New Bargain

    POV: ra


    As soon as I heard the door close in itstch, I turned. The nurse had taken up the book that he left beside the bed and put it aside.


    ¡°I thought you were fast asleep? Ryan was here, he just left a couple of minutes ago, maybe if I hurry down the hallway, I can catch up with him.¡±


    ¡°No need for that, I know he was here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, he left this for you,¡± she handed me the book. Slowly, I extended my hand as I grabbed it, and the stream of memories came rushing down. The very moment he had walked up on me the day I should have been cleaning his chambers. In a way, the book had brought us together.


    ¡°You should speak to him?¡±


    I exhaled as I watched her through the lights.


    ¡°There is nothing to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Well, from where I stand, I think that there is a lot that you two need to talk about. The air seems cloudy whenever you two are together. I think you both should clear it out.¡±


    ¡°Well thanks for your concern but you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I am perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. You know Ryan is such a hard guy. Always been, always will be. But ever since he brought you here, I have been seeing him exhibit behaviors I have never seen in him before. I think you brought it all out of him.¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Of course, who doesn¡¯t know he is alpha king and his ruthless attitude? You know the first day I saw him bring you here, I thought deep down that he would be so kind to bring her here to want to save her life. Ryan has never cared for anyone. If you know him well enough then you would know that what I am saying is true. He has only been responsible for so much destruction if it meant saving his packs. But never cared about anyone this much. I can see it in his eyes that he loves you and you should give him a chance.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what I should do and what I shouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°But you know that I am right, I don¡¯t think that you should keep ignoring him, speak to him, and hear him out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to hear him out, you have no idea what he did to me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, what did he do to you? Maybe talking can help with the pain you have all piled up there. I can see it in your eyes, the bitterness in thoserge tired eyes. Talk to me, it doesn¡¯t help that it is piled up all in there, let it all out and see how it helps, trust me, it will.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I get you. I¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is good for a start.¡±


    ¡°Ryan is just a piece of shit that did not hesitate to hurt me when he had the chance. He hurt me, he hurt me so much that I wanted to squeeze him in my grasp. I want him to feel the pain that I feel whenever the thoughtes to my mind.¡±


    ¡°I understand your plight, do you love him?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you love him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I do or if I did, we just had a kind of connection that was unique and I hoped that itsted longer than it actually did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the more reason why you guys need to have that conversation.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, not again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep saying it. My candid advice to you is that you listen to what he has to say, just give him a listening ear, you don¡¯t even have to say anything. Just maybe after then, you can decide not to speak to him again.¡±


    ¡°You think that would work?¡±


    ¡°Of course, okay let me ask you a question now, how do you feel within yourself with all that is going on?¡±


    ¡°I feel terrible and pained.¡±


    ¡°I guessed so. What if you let go of the hurt and the pain that you have towards everyone? Have you thought about that?¡±


    ¡°Those people treated me like shit. Do you think they deserve any forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the more reason you should forgive them all, and let all this pain go.¡±


    I exhaled as I looked away without saying another word, the room remained quiet for a while we both sat buried in our thoughts.


    ¡°Can I see the book again¡±? I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she handed it to me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡­ breathe in life¡­ into the cursed petals that had fallen from the stalks and they would bloom¡­ rising again like the phoenix they would have a second chance and this time; they would choose to strive¡­


    ¡°He is here to see you, ma¡¯am,¡± Grace announced as soon as she walked into the ward.


    ¡°Who do you speak of?¡± I asked even if I could tell who she spoke of, I just wanted to be sure that I was not having another strange visitor.


    ¡°Lord Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, putting the book away.


    ¡°Should I tell him that you have awoken?¡±


    ¡°Let him in,¡± I ignored her. As much as I wanted my solitude to be locked in my head as I had always wanted, I still wanted to hear all that he had to say.


    His words perhaps could be thest piece that I needed to be at peace with myself perhaps, Grace could be right everything came rushing down. All the thoughts all at once maybe I needed more time to understand myself and what I wanted but more time was what I knew I didn¡¯t have.


    For the past few months, my life had been in a circle getting to meet people who would only end up putting me in a rather toxic position. I didn¡¯t want that, not anymore. I needed my freedom, not the kid that meant that I had to live in a house with some ves working for me but the one that I would pick up my sack and walk out without looking back.


    ¡°Hey, ra, I¡¯m d to see you awake,¡± I heard his voice as he walked towards the bed where Iy.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I replied staring tantly at the door.


    ¡°Can I sit with you?¡±


    I managed a nod and he he pulled a seat just in front of me.


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I heard you came earlier, is that what you havee to ask me?¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± he called out moving his seat closer as he held n to my hands and then I took my hands away from him with a force that caused a sharp pain through my abdomen again


    ¡°Shit!¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Grace asked as she moved towards me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded before she could get any more closer. Ryan turned towards her, ¡°Can you give us a moment please, would like to speak with her in private.¡±


    Grace said nothing only resting her eyes on me, I slowly nodded and she smiled as she got the signal.


    Now, here goes nothing.


    ¡°ra¡­¡± he began.


    ¡°¡­ I know that you hate me and you probably do not want to ever see me or hear from me again, but I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± He paused, as he watched my eyes, but I took them away from him as soon as I felt them on mine, resting them on the white walls that I faced.


    ¡°¡­ look ra, I know that you might have seen something that you presumed might have happened, but let me assure you that whatever you saw wasn¡¯t real.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t real?¡± I turned to face him, the sides of his eyes gathered tears and I knew that if I kept looking, maybe mine would do the same.


    I didn¡¯t like to see him that way, that was never the n. To get to watch the Alpha King of such caliber cry. It was as if a stake ran through my chest. Hurting me more than the open fresh wounds ever did. But I looked away again holding down the tears that were already forming, hoping that he would not have to see them.


    ¡°What do you mean by it wasn¡¯t real? So it was all an illusion then.¡±


    ¡°You are getting it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me let me get it right.¡±


    ¡°That day I heard a knock on the door, as usual, I thought it was you so I went to open it but it wasn¡¯t you as I had thought. It was Patricia. She came on me, ra please believe me. I know you have a thing for cheating men but I am not one of them. I cannot do anything to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I am d that you know that I have a thing for men that cheats. You know this feeling when you have food churn rushed from your stomach up to your throat. The heat from the heartburn and the acidic sting of whatever acides up to your throat, or is it the soreness that you would feel on your lower tongue and the heaviness it brings afterward? Yeah, that is how I feel whenever I see or speak to cheating men,¡± I snorted.


    Ryan said nothing, he pulled me closer holding my hands in his, but this time, I did not take it away nor did I look at him. I faced up watching the ceiling at the same time giving him a listening ear so he could air his words.


    I just wanted whatever it was that he had to say to be over. I needed the space and quietness again to be able to hear my thoughts and perhaps read a book or listen to Grace¡¯s endless tales. All the while, I didn¡¯t like the tightness in my chest. Ryan¡¯s presence had made ite and I was certain his absence would take it away.


    ¡°I me myself for what happened. It is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have opened the door for her that day. Perhaps I could have prevented any of this from happening.¡±


    ¡°And what of another day?¡±


    ¡°Patricia is just a friend,  why don¡¯t you just get that?¡±


    ¡°Just a friend huh? Well, it didn¡¯t look like that to me. The worst of it all is that I got to lose my child because of this. That¡¯s what keeps me awake all night.¡±


    ¡°I am really sorry. I feel so awful for what this has caused you. I want to make it up to you. I want to make you happy. To see that smile that brings the glow to your face. Please let me make it up to you again.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes you can, you can make it up to me.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me how,¡± he wiped the back of his palm across his face. Taking the droplet of tears along with it, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I only want one thing, Ryan.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Please tell me and don¡¯t leave a detail out of it.¡±


    I turned towards him now,  his eyes a gumbo of emotions as they were wet and looked warm for a while. And then suddenly, the warmth dried up with the rest of the tears leaving a set of weak eyes that only depicted fear but I didn¡¯t look away as I had done before, instead, I peered into them and he did just the same.


    ¡°I want to feel them again Ryan, the kick of the tiny feet on the walls of my stomach and the stretching of my skin. I want to feel the weight and the movement that gave me hope whenever I retired to bed every night drained out of hope,¡±


    ¡°ra please,¡± he said admitting tears.


    ¡°I am not finished,¡± I heard the quiver in my voice and I knew I could no longer hold back the tears as they ran freely to the sides, soaking up the pillow thaty beneath my head.


    ¡°My hope is gone. The only part of me that was alive is now dead, everything is dark in here and feels empty all because I cared.¡±


    ¡°No, no please you don¡¯t have to say that. You have me.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I took my hands away from him and he held it back but I resented facing the window.


    ¡°What you saw that day is not what you think. Patricia is just a family friend, her mother Lady Ana had been the one that looked after me after what happened to my parents.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you owe her that, being with her daughter would only make everything perfect after all that she had done for you. It is me that should be taken away. I am the one standing in the way. After all, I am only but a ve, your ve, you can do to me as you wish or is it not what was promised? Was that not the deal that was struck?¡±


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t n for any of this to happen. But with you, it was difficult to look away. With you, everything seemed perfect. I don¡¯t want that to end. I want to be with you ra that is what I want.¡±


    ¡°And what about what I want?¡±


    ¡°I thought this is what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± I said slowly facing him again as I held his arms and looked straight into his eyes.


    I knew what I wanted and it did not include lying helpless in a hospital and having a back-and-forth conversation which was just a mere pool of stacked up lies that had be a pain in my ears. I needed it to end, everything that had caused me so much pain even if it meant letting the part of me that brought me happiness even for a minute go. I was willing to give it all up.


    ¡°¡­ but it has only caused me pain and regret. I don¡¯t want to feel this pain. Not anymore. Not after everything that I have made my body and soul go through in your hands and the hands of your people.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean ra?¡±


    I faced him fully now peering deeply into his eyes so I would watch the flick in them when I spilled to him what I had decided on.


    ¡°Do you love me, Ryan?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± He responded without hesitation.


    ¡°Then, let me go.¡± I uttered calmly, watching as he tensed up as soon as my response sank into his head.


    ¡°What do you mean by let me go?¡± He pulled away from the chair, it made a loud screech on the surface of the marble floor.

 Chapter Forty-two: YOU WOULD LET ME GO

    ¡°If you really do love me, Ryan, you would let me go. I no longer want to be here with you. I don¡¯t want to see the faces of my tormentors. I want to leave here.¡±


    ¡°No, ra this must be a joke, you really cannot mean that.¡±


    ¡°But I do.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he walked towards the other end with his hands over his face as he grunted.


    ¡°I am sorry ra but I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He said nothing, looking away for a while and then he moved closer as he grabbed my arms in his.


    ¡°Hey,  hey¡­ look at me,¡± he searched for my eyes. At first, I didn¡¯t want to stare at him but then, I just had to.


    ¡°What is it, Ryan?¡± I pulled away from him as I tried to sit up but the pains in my abdomen only caused me to fall back down giving out a loud grunt.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said trying to hold me down but I quickly took his hands off me again as the pain only reminded me of everything. Grace might have heard me grunt as she rushed in.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Ryan quickly answered as if her presence would make me remain adamant about the decision that I had made but I didn¡¯t know how to tell him that with or without any external pressure, I had already agreed with my mind on my decision.


    Grace did not harken to his words as she moved closer to watch me. I stared at her for a while and then stretched my lips in a smile so she would know that I was okay. She nodded in response when she got the signal even though her eyes said otherwise.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Grace, I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°It is almost time for your evening dosage and dressing.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,  just give us a little more time he would soon be leaving.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Grace responded and walked out of the room giving Ryan a quick nce before finally exiting.


    ¡°I see you now have a bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°She is just looking out for me.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Are we done here?¡±


    ¡°ra look, you would have to make another request because I can¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°We have just been close for a short while and look at where it hadnded me.¡±


    ¡°This was just a misunderstanding I promise you that this will never happen again. I would make sure of that. Let me take care of you. Let me be the man that puts a smile on your face. I want to see you beside me every morning that I wake up. It is you that I want and I can¡¯t have you if you are gone.¡±


    ¡°My mind is made up Ryan,¡± I said my voice low and firm.


    ¡°ra please can you just take your time and¡­¡±


    ¡°All the while I have been on this bed, soaked up in my thoughts buried in this jagged head of mine. I have had more than enough time to think about it. So yeah, I have thought about it and I have made up my mind that I need to leave. Let me go. This is what I want.¡±


    There was silence between us for a while as we both said nothing. Ryan moved to the other window looking through it. I managed a nce at him but he was focused with his gaze through the window. I couldn¡¯t read him.


    It had be hard to do that, even worse, an impossible task now. It used to be easier when he cared less about me now with everything that had happened and the ims that he cared for me, it was just the opposite.


    ¡°Ryan, you have to leave, it¡¯s time for my evening doses and dressing, if you don¡¯t mind. The nurse will soon be here.¡±


    ¡°Very well then,¡± he said leaving the opened window as he walked towards me, ¡°I really do love you, ra,¡± he said as he got closer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± I muttered, the image of him and Patricia in bed shing in my head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe it, all I want is for you to know that I love you and I really do care about you. I don¡¯t want to do anything to hurt you¡­ anymore. It would kill me if I ever do anything like that ever again.¡±


    ¡°Ryan¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, I am not finished, you have said yours. Now let me say mine.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I nodded.


    His words were firm and his eyes slightly red as if he had sucked up all the tears that could have dropped down, and it only irritated his eyes which gave them their colour. They didn¡¯t have the sorry look as he spoke neither did his words sound tiringly desperate.


    For once, they sounded true and certain. I had no idea why I felt that I could actually believe what he wanted to say. But I just knew that I needed to that it was important to him that I paid a keen interest to whatever he had stuck up his throat.


    ¡°I have heard all that you have to say and I know that even if it pains me so much to agree to this and to say this, you are right. I and my subordinates have hurt you so bad. We¡­ we have been cruel to you, especially when you had no one and¡­ and you were pregnant. I cannot take back the hands of time. If I could, then I would have done that a long time ago and we would definitely not be here. But I want you to know that I love you and I care deeply about you. I want only the best for you and as much as I want us to work I also want your happiness. I have felt your pain and I know now that I shouldn¡¯t have let anything bad happen to you. Clearly, I have failed in that. I love you so much ra that is why I have decided to let you go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± His words pulled me out of my streams of thoughts as I stared at him trying to sit up again and this time, I could sit up a little ignoring the pains that followed with it.


    ¡°Yes, I know that you want this so much. You want your freedom and I cannot be in love with you and still keep you here against your will.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Ryan, you don¡¯t know what this means to me. Hearing you say this, thank you,¡± I said forcing a smile as every bit of it felt fake. Somehow, a part of me still didn¡¯t like the fact that he had agreed to it and I didn¡¯t know why. In my head, I knew having my freedom was all that mattered and I was ready for that but letting Ryan go, I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°But,¡± he added.


    ¡°There is a but. There is always a but. What is it, Ryan?¡± I asked, my heart beating twice faster than it did before. I watched his lips keen to hear what he would say. Could he be striking another deal? Maybe something that would only make me realize that I had asked for the wrong thing. What could he possibly want? The impossible? I just couldn¡¯t wait to find out as I awaited his next words.

 Chapter Forty-three: COME WITH ME, LET’S HEAL!

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go like this ra.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± My heart leaped as I asked.


    ¡°I mean, I would grant you your freedom but I can¡¯t let you go like this, not in your present condition.¡±


    ¡°But I am healing fast. The nurse said that I would be discharged in a couple of days. And from here,  I can just go straight out.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean yes you are healing fast and it gives me great joy that you are but you aren¡¯t leaving from here.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much, Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Listen, after you are discharged you would be put under total bedrest for thirty days until you are perfectly fine, that¡¯s when I would let you go.¡±


    ¡°Thirty days?¡±


    ¡°Well, forty days then.¡±


    ¡°No, no thirty days is fine and after this I am done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, after thirty days, then you would be free to go,¡± he said,  his voice unusually lower than when we first started our conversation.


    I was happy that he had said this. The thought of getting to be free, getting to go outside of the walls not to work under themandment of anyone, to have good clothes and food like every normal person would and the best of all, to see my parents again. I hoped that they were still alive and out there waiting to be found.


    I knew that whatever Ryan and I might have shared was just a mirage, something at a distant path that I could only see but nevery my hands on. It was painful to watch what you want drift off your grip, so I¡¯d rather stop looking and focus on something that I could actually reach out to.


    ¡°I need to go now ra, I hope to see you stronger and happier when I return.¡±


    His words were as though he didn¡¯t mean them,  perhaps if I were stronger and happier then it meant that I didn¡¯t have to be in his space again and then he wouldn¡¯t have any control over me like he would have. I didn¡¯t know, I only thought so.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± I replied watching as he turned his back leaving the room. His back hung in dissatisfaction and disappointment just like his hopes and his supposed ego. Could he be telling me the truth? It was hard to know this nor believe his words not after what I had seen and witnessed in the hands of the men I thought I had loved.


    Perfect scenario of history repeating itself.


    My lips fell apart so words could fall but nothing came forth not for the few seconds that I had left to call him back. As much as I wanted to say something, I had the slightest idea of what I wanted to say. I didn¡¯t know if an apology would suffice but what would I be apologizing for?


    For once in my life, I had been granted what I asked for. Even with the underlying condition it still felt like victory. My mind went nk and my throat too dry to push out my voice and so there were no word.


    I watched him walk through the door, he didn¡¯t turn back to look at me as he always did; shing me a gorgeous smile that matched his eyes with some sort of assurance that would sprout through them. He didn¡¯t want me to see them this time, perhaps I had struck a nerve that could cause them to lose their sparks. I wish I had not.


    But there was no other way. I put myself first this time, something that my life as a ve had taught me.


    Grace walked in as soon as he was gone, her face had a mixed reaction, an unsettling look that ept an expression from what I was willing to give. Luckily for her, a smile escaped my lips and so she smiled too.


    ¡°Someone is finally smiling. I guess you had that talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it depends on the talk you mean.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, you are happy that¡¯s what matters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right?¡±


    ¡°Time for your evening medication and dressing. I hope you¡¯ve had your mind set for this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have been thinking of it all afternoon,¡± I said as she helped me seat up. Most of the pains I felt all over my body had somehow disappeared and the one which was left was subdued. Having to hear Ryan agree to my terms really caused a shift in a lot of things around me and I was happy about that. So happy that it somewhat cured my wounds. I hummed a tune that popped in my mind as I stretch for the book thatid on the drawer just beside the bed.


    ¡°Rx ra, let me help you get it,¡± she said as she left the tray containing my medications and turned for the book.


    ¡°No Grace, you have done enough for me, let me do this one.¡±


    ¡°Done enough?¡± She chuckled,  ¡°I have only done my job and helping you bring a book won¡¯t cause me any harm. I am always ready to help.¡±


    ¡°I see that you have a good heart Grace, does ite with the profession?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± she exhaled with her hands still busy with what was on the tray, ¡°So many thingses with being a nurse, the way you approach a patient and talk to them, it even goes as far as affecting the way you look at them but I don¡¯t think a profession can make you change who you truly are. It can only shape you for a bit and that¡¯s all but after that, when no one is there to monitor your work ethics, what next?¡±


    ¡°I guess you are left to portray whatever behaviour you have buried in there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said with a grin staring at me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ryan¡¯s visit really took a turn on you. Still wondering what he had said to put you in this mood.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Well, like you said, I am recovering fast that¡¯s a really great news.¡±


    ¡°And¡­.¡± she grinned I knew just what she wanted.


    ¡°You can just ask what you want and maybe I could be kind enough to tell you a tiny bit of what we discussed,¡± I responded with a smirk.


    ¡°Oh God, please tell me. How did it go?¡±


    ¡°At first it was a clogged up in my head. But you told me to talk and not let everything in my head just bring hatred and so I heeded to that advice. We had a conversation as you know and I finally got to say what I wanted. It wasn¡¯t an easy piece to say but believe me it was worth it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I am being a bit sketchy about everything I just said to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is what I wanted to hear. It gives me so much joy that I got to y a part in what gives you this much happiness.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Grace,¡± I said.


    She said nothing and returned to arranging my medication.


    ¡°I would be discharged in a few days right?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Ryan wants me to be on bedrest for the next thirty days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if you would like to hear me say this but I think he is right on this one. It would help you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Thirty days? I thought that it was an exaggerating number of days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just fine. Trust me. A nurse would be assigned to you , to watch over you from time to time until you know, you arepletely okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, it would be great to still have you around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she said looking away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, it¡¯s just that¡­ today is myst day here.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? Have you been fired? Oh God, I hope it¡¯s not me.¡±


    ¡°No not at all, it¡¯s the opposite in fact. Yesterday, I got a mail that I have been transferred to Menna,¡± she paused staring at me.


    ¡°Menna? That¡¯s like on the other side of the world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that. The offer was juicy and right now I would really do with the extra cash.¡±


    ¡°Oh congrattions then.¡± I managed to say before my voice got sucked in. She had been the only one I could truly converse with in thest few months. She had kind eyes and a real smile. I really hoped of seeing her outside the walls of the hospital when I get discharged perhaps we would be good friends. But now it would only remain an imagination the way it was created and gradually bes a memory that would fade away along with the pain.


    What was this I was feeling? Grief?

 Chapter Forty-four: FINALLY HOME

    I never saw Grace again. Her absence created a void in me for a while that I sank in the pages of my book until it was time to be discharged.


    Sandra took her ce, we had little or no conversations. She always walked around with a sickly sweetness of cheap perfume oozing from her, which made me a bit nauseous whenever she came close. But I never did tell her this.


    ¡°Good morning miss ra, Mr Ryan is here,¡± Sandra echoed as she walked into the room.


    ¡°Oh, Okay,¡± I replied.


    In a few seconds Ryan walked in. He looked much better than he was the previous time he visited with a much wider grin filled with positivity. I could feel it.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said.


    ¡°I never thought you would show up here again.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I didn¡¯t have the guts to show up with ck rings around my eyes from not getting any sleep after that day.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know if I would actually believe him but I felt sorry for him.


    ¡°Well, as a man we mourn our losses as well as our stupidity.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    We were silent only for a while as I let his words sink. I wanted to know how true they were but something still didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked after what could be like a minute of silence.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Here,¡± I handed him the book,  ¡°It was a good read, as always,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I know. But you can keep it. It is yours.¡±


    ¡°No, Ryan, I wouldn¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    ¡°I insist ra, for once don¡¯t argue, please. We should go.¡±


    I said nothing and with a little assistance, he held me off the bed as we headed out of the room through the hallway.


    ¡°The car is waiting downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Did you meet with the doctor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, he said he woulde in for a few days to check up on you and then he would appoint a nurse to continue checking up until you are perfectly okay again.¡±


    ¡°Okay thank you,¡± I heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    I avoided his eyes.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe that to be nothing.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to be sure that you are not sneaking me out.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± He chuckled and watched me hoping perhaps I could return it with augh or even a smirk but nothing came forth I only watched back as we walked along.


    ¡°You are serious?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Why would you even think that I would want to sneak you out of the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Like I said,  I asked just to be sure. It wasn¡¯t necessary what I was thinking.¡±


    ¡°You asked for a confirmation perhaps you thought about it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say a word and so he halted.


    ¡°I get it if you don¡¯t trust me. But the fact that you think that I can actually hurt you is terrifying.¡±


    ¡°The fact that I think that worries you?¡±


    ¡°Should it not?¡±


    I chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°Pardon my manners but I need to get a bit of the amusement off my chest to be able to tell you that,  that should be the least of your worries.¡±


    ¡°Why? You just asked me now for confirmation¡¯s sake because you feel that I might likely hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Ryan you have spent your whole time from the beginning of when I first arrived here trying to hurt me. What am I even saying? You have caused me pain so all of a sudden I should not be worried about the fact that you can actually want to hurt me now?¡±


    ¡°ra, that was in the past. I don¡¯t know why you keep rubbing it all over my face over and over again. Would you ever forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will forgive you. In fact I have. But you don¡¯t expect me to forget so soon now do you?¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡±


    It¡¯s been months, the sun and it¡¯s warmth rushed to my face as soon as we got outside. Watching the sky from the room on my sick bed all months irked me. I had gotten healed and then sick again from being a ve to my pains.


    Even if Grace¡¯s presence sometimes made it bearable I wanted nothing more than to walk out of that bed and set sail to somewhere I could call home.


    ¡°Finally, I have dreamed so much for the day that I would have to walk the ground again and not get to hear the beeping from those machines.¡± I muttered, facing the sky with my arms apart like a dramatic princess who had finally gotten an approval to move around the world.


    ¡°It gives me so much joy to see you this way ra.¡±


    ¡°It gives me so much Joy too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh girl,e here,¡± Ryan said, stretching his hands towards me, smiling at my dramatic expression.


    I ced my hands in his and he held them tightly. Although I could still feel the post-surgery pain; dull and intermittent, I knew gradually that it was only a matter of time. He pulled me close as we walked along. I had no idea what he had on his mind. Maybe I didn¡¯t care to know but mine screamed nothing but freedom and gradually, I approached it. I watched the car just in front of us. There were guards around, Ryan never moved around without them even if he was stronger than a hundred of thembined he always like to show his authority. We walked on into the car as I got in right behind him. I had sapped from his positivity perhaps now drunken in it that all the while I did not forget to keep the smile on my face or perhaps it just decided to stick this time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home ra,¡± he smiled and I smiled back as the car set motion I peered through the window watching the hospital from the distance as we moved along with the slightest clue of what I was walking into.

 Chapter Forty-five: THE TREATMENT

    For the first time in a long while I had not been awoken by the nurse with her tray holding my medications or the smells of antiseptics that was always in the janitor¡¯s trolley as he rolled it through the hallway. It was all so different and very much peaceful. Seeing the manor again after so long gave a short-lived nostalgic feeling. Memories came rushing back again as I sighted the ves wrapped up in their ragged dresses that was not enough to cover their very visible vicles from having to eat so little all day. But unlike before,  I had one of the finest rooms,  Ryan made sure of that. The smell of the fine crescent wood underlined underneath my nostrils, the warmth from the scented candles with their light flickering from thete nights to dawn was just enough for a much faster healing process. I watched the skyline from the window, the nearly invisible white puffy clouds still gathering around the blue sky as the sun rose overhead. It was good to be able to breathe again. Just then, I heard a knock at the door as I turned towards it without saying anything, perhaps I didn¡¯t hear right I wanted to be sure. And then I heard it again. It could be the ves assigned to clean the room, I thought. But I was wrong.


    ¡°Ryan, what are you doing here?¡± I said as soon as I opened the door.


    ¡°Good morning to you too ra.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see how you are doing this morning and thought I should bring breakfast along.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am doing very well. Thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can Ie in at least to drop this,¡± he pointed to the trolley that carried the tray of food while a maid stood beside it.


    ¡°Oh¡­ You didn¡¯t have to Ryan.¡±


    ¡°I know but I already did.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you should have just let the maid do it.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say no.¡±


    I exhaled and paved a way. The maid brought the tray of food in.


    ¡°ce it in the table, thanks,¡± he ordered and she did just as he had instructed as she walked away pulling the trolley along.


    ¡°I can see you are even better today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for letting me stay in this room the view is magical.¡±


    ¡°ra, you know I can do anything for you.¡±


    I looked at him and then looked away as I walked over to the window.


    ¡°This was my favourite spot when I was much younger. I used toe here and cool off whenever it seemed like I was carrying the weight of everyone and it choked me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Like I said it¡¯s magical.¡±


    He chuckled,  ¡°Yes, it is. That¡¯s why I thought this view would be nice for you.¡±


    ¡°It is. I like it. You said ¡®was¡¯ your favourite view so which is your favourite view at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Apart from the view from the highest seat addressing my subordinates, staring at you is wonderful.¡±


    He stared at me but as usual I avoided his eyes,  they were very much charming especially as the lights were on them and so I tried so much not to have even a glimpse. I didn¡¯t want to see them, not now, I wasn¡¯t ready for that. I knew they might charm me and make me make decisions that I might not be proud of at theter days.


    ¡°I should eat,¡± I said as I headed back to the bed.


    ¡°Oh now she is hungry.¡±


    ¡°Not really,  I just don¡¯t want to waste your efforts.¡±


    ¡°I never said I made them. I only brought them to you.¡±


    ¡°Still the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you win.¡±


    ¡°What do I have here?¡± I ced the tray on the bed as I began unfolding.


    ¡°Toast, scrambled eggs, some blueberry topped pancakes and tea and coffee.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, couldn¡¯t decide what you would like and so I made the chef make everything in the menu for breakfast today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s lovely. I can¡¯t even decide. I¡¯ll have everything then but I¡¯ll start with the toast and some coffee.¡±


    ¡°Okay that¡¯s good,  dig along,¡± he said as he watched me eat.


    ¡°Why are you staring? Aren¡¯t you going to have some?¡±


    ¡°I am an early bird, I have had breakfast already. Just wanted to make sure that you had something to eat as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really thoughtful of you,¡± I said taking the cup to my lips.


    ¡°ra,¡± he called out as he moved closer to me,  ¡°You know how much I care about you.¡±


    I dropped the cup of coffee back on the tray.


    ¡°Ryan look, you don¡¯t have to keep doing this just to win my attention back.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s what this is all about?¡±


    ¡°Well clearly you just affirmed that.¡±


    ¡°It is more than that. No doubt that I still want you but this doesn¡¯t have anything to do with that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it better not. I¡¯ll be leaving soon Ryan, get that.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Hey rx, I know, I mean how can I forget? I just wanted to make sure that we are on the same page. I hate the fight and constant quarrels that has been happening between us.¡±


    ¡°So is this like an apology meal or what?¡±


    ¡°It is nothing. Let¡¯s just say a friend helping another with breakfast,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°I can work with that.¡±


    ¡°Eat up I¡¯m sorry I brought it up again.¡±


    I replied with a smile as I grabbed the toast taking a bite from it.


    In an attempt to sip from the cup again, I missed my lips for a bit spilling just a little of the drink over my lips.


    ¡°Oh shit! I am such a mess,¡± I muttered as I wiped it off my dress with the napkin. But Ryan still had his eyes on me.


    ¡°What? If you keep staring like that I might be forced to stop eating.¡±


    ¡°You have something here,¡± he pointed to a part of my face.


    ¡°Where?¡± I struggled with my face to wipe off whatever he was pointing at but with the way he stared, it seemed whatever he was pointing at still stood there.


    ¡°Here,¡± he took his finger across the edge of my lips wiping it off.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I gasped as I watched him. He licked it off with his tongue without taking his eyes away from me.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I managed to ask after a while of being dumbfounded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I guess I have missed the taste after all this while.¡±


    ¡°Thought you just said that you already had breakfast. What taste do you now miss?¡± My voice shook a bit as I asked. Low like in a whisper but audible enough for him to hear that he smiled back. At that minute, I knew that perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. I wished to take back my words.


    ¡°Your lips.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh God Ryan, not again,¡± I looked away as memories rushed down my mind.

 Chapter Forty-six: ONCE A SLAVE, ALWAYS A SLAVE.

    What was he up to?


    His words, his smiles, I knew that he cared but could this be some sort of trap? To lure me back to him.


    Focus ra.


    The walls were sickening and the bed began to feel too soft to hold me as it used to. It had been a week and I thought it was time to take my first stroll out. The day had just begun and most of the ves had began the days job, tilling the soils with their nearly blunt tools hoping for their reward after the hardbour which was nothing more than a te of warm meal which was just enough to feed an infant.


    ¡°Hey ra.¡±


    I turned towards the voice.


    ¡°Madam Ana,¡± I called out halting with a bow as soon as I saw her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. Wee back to the manor,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You look a lot different now, perhaps in a much better shape,¡± Patricia said with her eyes hovering around my belly.


    ¡°Patricia, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°It is Lady Patricia now.¡±


    ¡°Lady Patricia, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I would say the same because I am in the time in my life that I need a personal maid.¡±


    ¡°Patricia, not here,¡± Madam Ana said turning to Patricia and then to me, ¡°Meet me at the courthouse by noon we have something to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete!¡± Patricia said as they walked on.


    Phew!


    Noon came fast even after I hoped that it would stall a bit as the day started really slow. The thoughts of what she could want to talk about stayed on my mind as I strolled. As much as I didn¡¯t want to go, I needed to. To know the reason for the meeting though. Perhaps I could use the medium to tell her about leaving soon. I had no idea how she or Patricia would take it but one way or the other, I knew that they needed to know.


    The midday scouring sun scratched against my skin as I headed towards the courtyard.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing here,¡± One of the guards standing by the courtyard entrance said as I got close.


    ¡°I have a meeting here by noon with Lady Ana now Madam Ana.¡±


    ¡°Okay go in she is expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Hold on I know you, you are on of the guards that¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam Ana is waiting,¡± he said cutting me off.


    ¡°Yeah of course.¡±


    ¡°She is here,¡± Patricia whispered to Madam Ana as I walked in.


    ¡°Right on time,¡± she said, have a seat make yourselffortable.


    What? Did I just hear right?


    ¡°Thanks but I think I¡¯m better off on my feet.¡±


    ¡°Very well then. Once again I would say that it is nice to see you here again. Even the manor has missed your presence and your services,¡± She smiled.


    Yeah right. What could this be all about?


    My heart raced even more faster as she spoke on.


    ¡°I am sorry for your loss. I know it has been hard.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I cried when I heard about that. So sad.¡± Patricia added dramatically wiping our invisible tears off her eyes.


    What the hell is happening?


    I couldn¡¯t control the pace at which my heart raced but I could control every tear nd that was likely to pour out tears at that moment. I didn¡¯t want to be seen as weak, not in front of those two.


    ¡°Thank you, I said. It¡¯s fine. In fact I am healing fast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great news,¡± Patricia took a nce at her mother with a wry smile creeping to her lips. Just then, it urred to me that something was up.


    ¡°Fantastic. It¡¯s been months and you have been off duty for a while. Patricia here who is now Lady Patricia after the new inauguration ceremony that was a few weeks back, would need a personal maid. She needs to be fit and always avable to perform her duties.¡±


    ¡°Oh congrattions.¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you. Mother get to the point already.¡±


    ¡°Yes definitely. Seeing that you have found favour in his sights,  you know who I speak of,  you would not be going back to your old life. So we are giving you the opportunity to stay here in the manor as Lady Patricia¡¯s personal maid.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡± I nearly choked on her words.


    ¡°You dare question my mother?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that what?¡± She barked.


    Speak ra.


    The words were there right in front of my lips waiting to be said.


    Tell them ra,  you have been made free by the Alpha King. Say it,  you are no longer a ve. Speak. Say it!


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t know I would resume soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, no one says you would start today.¡±


    ¡°What? She doesn¡¯t start today?!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You start tomorrow,¡± Madam Ana said.


    ¡°Phew! That¡¯s right,¡± Patricia smiled, ¡°I know you might not know a lot of this about me so I¡¯ll fill you up on some of them. I like to have a cup of tea before my breakfast which is usually as early as 7:am and then a warm feet massage before I start my day.¡±


    ¡°Okay Patricia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lady Patricia.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Lady Patricia. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course that¡¯s all for now.¡±


    And then I turned to leave.


    ¡°Hold on a bit there ra,¡± Patricia called out.


    I froze on my step as I turned back again.


    ¡°Did you ever think that maybe you could be free?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I definitely didn¡¯t see thating.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± I cleared my throat searching my head for what to say.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll answer that for you. No! So take such thoughts out if it did ever cross your mind. Once a ve always a ve. Now be rest assured that I do not like to be kept waiting. And I want my maidpetent and ever ready to do my biddings. If I notice any slight backwardness from you. I wouldn¡¯t tell the guards to punish you or give you any hard task like Ryan did. I¡¯ll take you out, personally. You should know that. Now leave!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I turned to leave my chest tightening with every step that I took heading out.


    What are you doing ra? Just ignore them and go.


    Did I just hear right? Be Patricia¡¯s personal ve? How worse could that get? The endless bacsh of hurtful words being thrown at my face, the torments, the turmoil, more wounds that would leave scars that never seemed to fade away,  all this that I would have to face again. It was indeed a sign that I needed to leave. But Ryan, he never seemed to listen. He didn¡¯t understand, he never did. Maybe that was why every thing about me that he was involved in always ended badly. I needed to say something. Perhaps to let them know of the new development but instead as usual, the words were sucked back in as I walked back to the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete,¡± I said as I reminisced on Patricia¡¯s words mimicking in a tone that matched hers. The sun was barely up by the time I woke up. Sometimes, it still feels like a dream whenever I thought that I would be working again. As I set to leave, preparing for the long day, I heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Oh God, Patricia couldn¡¯t even wait a minute long before sending one of those her eerie-looking guards,¡± I rolled my eyes,  ¡°Hold on a bit I would be there shortly,¡± but my words did not slow down the knock neither did it stop it.


    ¡°Oh fuck it,¡± I muttered underneath my breath as I headed towards the door opening it to find Ryan there.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you,¡± I said.


    ¡°It seems you were expecting someone else.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Come in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want Ryan?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be awake by now.¡±


    ¡°Well,  I am and I am heading out.¡±


    ¡°You should be resting ra. Remember what the doctor said.¡±


    ¡°I guess not everyone knows about what the doctor said.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Look Ryan,  I need to go now I don¡¯t want to bete. Patricia,  I mean Lady Patricia would not like to be kept waiting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What business do you have with Patricia at this time of the day?¡±


    ¡°What are you even doing here at this time of the day?¡±


    ¡°I was going into town for a meeting and so I thought to stop by to see how you are doing before leaving.¡±


    ¡°You are leaving the manor?¡±


    ¡°Yes but just for a few hours, I¡¯ll be back in time for dinner. And I would want you to join me for dinner but that aside, you haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°It is nothing you should worry about.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am already worried. You should be resting,  that was the agreement so where the hell are you going?¡±


    ¡°How is that your business anyway?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon ra,  I don¡¯t want you to be out there doing something that could ruin your health any further.¡±


    ¡°Is this just about my health?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but all the same you have to tell me. ¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t owe you any exnation.¡±


    ¡°I know, but please, I don¡¯t want you involved with Patricia or anyone rted to her.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit toote for that.¡±


    ¡°What has happened?¡±


    ¡°She made me her personal ve.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He chuckled. But I still held my face in the same expression as he looked at me.


    ¡°Wait you are serious? And you actually want to do it? But you are no longer a ve.¡±


    ¡°Technically I am still a ve in the eyes of everyone as long as I am still here.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t forget that once a ve always a ve and not even you is going to change that until I leave here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me feel like I am holding you against your will.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t but your subordinates are and right now they need my services and I need to be there on time to render it.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is not about you. If I don¡¯t get going now, I could get in serious trouble. I have been in Madam Ana¡¯s ck book for too long and I don¡¯t wish to stay there anymore somehow it is exhausting andes with lot of pains. You would never understand that.¡±


    ¡°ra look,¡± he held my hands in his and they were as warm as his stare. I wish I could tell him that I didn¡¯t want him to ever take them off hands again.


    Put yourself together ra.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t here for anyone,  you are not under anyone. And no one can do anything to ever hurt you again whether I am here or not, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ryan, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± I said looking away slowing retrieving my hands from his.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Hey look at me,¡± he held them firmly again as he pulled me close,  ¡°don¡¯t do that,  don¡¯t sumb to their desires. You work for no one. Yeah, I agree you were a ve, my ve, not theirs and I have given you your freedom. You are free to go on the condition that you get better with the amount of time we both agreed on. If you want me to make it public, to announce to everyone in town that you have been freed from the shackles of my chains then I would. All you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°I know Ryan. I know all of this but¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no buts.¡±


    ¡°I have to at least report to her.¡±


    ¡°You have to report to no one but yourself.¡±


    I watched his lips as they smacked against each other. I liked his tone as he spoke, so viscous and fierce. He was being very protective about me which created a surge of a warm feeling around me. Perhaps he actually cared and I had allowed the pains of my past to overwhelm me, clouding my sense of judgement. I had be the blind bat that moved around without a given direction hitting against the walls of a dark cave even in the daytime I still couldn¡¯t see what was right in front of me. Or maybe I could but it had be too familiar that I overlooked it every time.


    The knock on the door caused my heart to stop for a second and my throat suddenly went dry.


    ¡°Oh my God, it could be her I have dyed,¡± I whispered.


    Ryan said nothing as he left my arms walking towards the door.


    ¡°Ryan, wait you don¡¯t have to,¡± I said but my words werete as he already had it opened.


    ¡°Lord Ryan, I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were in here,¡± the guards said as he saw Ryan by the door.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I am here to take her for her daily job.¡±


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°Lady Patricia. She seeks her presence at her chambers.¡±


    ¡°Just as I thought,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Do you have any idea why she might need her at her chambers?¡±


    ¡°Uhmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak!¡± Ryan roared.


    ¡°She has been made her personal ve. She is needed to perform certain duties for Lady Patricia.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well you would go back and tell Patricia that she should get a new personal maid. ra is my guest and so she would not be suitable for such position. Tell the others that thisdy is not a ve and she must not be mistaken as one. Now leave!¡±


    ¡°Yes master,¡± the guard said as he dashed away from the room towards the hallway.


    Ryan closed the door as he walked towards me.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s settled. If it takes me to address them all, then I would. No one should ever address you as a ve anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ryan, what have you done?¡±


    ¡°Something I would have done a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Patricia would not like this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend her to.¡±


    ¡°They would not like this at all,¡± I muttered.

 Chapter Forty-seven: OX STEW, MASHED POTATOES

    Hey ra,


    In case you are wondering why I am sending this, I just returned from my little trip and I wish that you would join me for dinner at the grand diner. Guess what we would be having?  Yeah, you guessed right, your favourite. It would give me so much joy to have dinner with you again. Please say yes. I am hoping to see you shortly.


    Ryan.


    ¡°Oh God Ryan, he never does quit does he?¡±


    An invitation from the Alpha King with the seal on his letter, this should be every girls joy. It should be my joy but this sure came with some baggage that I was not willing to face. As I walked down the stairs with my fingers crossed,  I hoped that it would be just the two of us seated in a private space where we would share thoughts andugh about old memories while eating what he thinks is my favourite.


    Ox stew, mashed potatoes or what?


    ¡°I got this letter from the Alpha King,¡± I said, handing it over to one of the guards that guarded the doors of the grand diner. It was a ce forbidden to all ves or anyone seen as the low ss. I had the slightest idea why he had chosen this ce to have dinner with me. I don¡¯t know if it was another means to show everyone that I was no longer a ve to him, but a guest as he had called me. The grand diner was a part of the manor that great men from far and wide met at whenever the Alpha King hosted the meetings. So it was a privilege not just for a ve but for me as a person.


    ¡°Yes, he is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and walked in to find Ryan already seated in a wide grin.


    ¡°The grand diner, really?¡± I approached with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah of course, you deserve everything. Hold on,¡± he said, and moved over as he pulled the chair out, ¡°here you go mydy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I settled in, ¡°Wow this looks good. You weren¡¯t kidding when you said it was my favourite.¡±


    ¡°You like?¡±


    ¡°I love. Ryan this is wonderful. You can be sweet you know, if you want to be.¡±


    ¡°I know, but only a few persons gets to see this side of me,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°What? So I should feel lucky now right?¡±


    ¡°Well you have said it all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the arrogance never gets old,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    Sitting there watching him in his finest robe sharing a drink was all that I wanted. It was just the peace that came with it that meant the most. No one dared to question us, not even a weird stare, an eerie gaze or side talks could bother us. When I thought about breath of fresh air, this was how it yed in my head, a perfect scenario. I was finally living it but never thought in the wildest of dreams that it would be short-lived.


    Patricia walked in on us, she might have heard about our dinner at the grand diner.


    ¡°Wow so this is true,¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°Patricia you are weed to join us,¡± Ryan announced.


    ¡°Ryan darling, I didn¡¯t know you were back yet. I could have instructed the maids to prepare something and then I would have brought it directly to your chamber,¡± She said approaching us. She gave an eerie nce once she turned to me before facing Ryan again.


    This is trouble.


    ¡°Have a seat Patricia I was nning on calling on a meeting with you.¡±


    I took a sharp turn to Ryan as if he could read my thoughts by just staring at my eyes.


    ¡°Maybe you shoulde to my chambers after. It would be the perfect spot for the meeting,¡± she winked at him just immediately and I looked away. Just then, the unwanted feeling returned, the one I carried around as a ve. All that screamed in my head leave!


    ¡°No, Patricia there would not be any need for that. It¡¯s good you met us here. Have a seat and grab a te.¡±


    ¡°What? You must be kidding,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°You heard me right Patricia.¡±


    ¡°No, Ryan I clearly didn¡¯t. I mean you don¡¯t expect me to seat here sharing the same table with a ve now, do you? Ryan sometimes I wonder if this is really you. You can never share a table with a ve but look at you now. Wining and dining with someone who has eaten the pigs food and drank from the dirty well.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for a lecture Patricia. I asked that you sit down.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Ryan but I would do no such thing. I can¡¯t possibly stoop so low. We can have our meeting somewhere else. I still think my chamber is a good idea perhaps we can make up for old times.¡±


    ¡°I said sit down Patricia!¡± Ryan roared inviting the attention of everyone to the diner including the guards situated outside. I turned sharply towards him. Patricia had a wide gaze as well. Clearly we both didn¡¯t expect that. I could sense her heartbeat beating twice as fast as it was when she first walked in. She was scared and so she threw herself freely on the seat. Ryan waved at the guards and they exited the diner.


    ¡°Now that we have an understanding, I¡¯ll go straight to it so we can return to our meal and you can as well go back to whatever it is that you were doing.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°ra here is not your ve or anyone else¡¯s, so I am sorry she cannot be your personal maid. Yes,  I heard about that. You should get someone else to fit into that position. In fact, do you know what think you should do? Appoint different maids that would work for her as long as she is here. How about that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Patricia and I echoed simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes, she would be appointed three maids to perform all her biddings. I do not want you or anyone else to be of any stress to her. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say to you Ryan other than to tell you how much of a disappointment you are to everyone here,¡± Patricia said slowly.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all you have to say then it is obvious that you have nothing to say so you can leave now. As you can see, you are interrupting something very important.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you are eating with the same blood that murdered your parents. Your enemy!¡±


    Oh shit, this just went sideways.


    ¡°Leave Patricia! Before the guards take you out.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord,¡± she said as she walked out in quick steps,  I could hear the quiver in her voice.


    ¡°That was harsh,¡± I said as it was just us again.


    ¡°Eat up,¡± he said as he faced his meal.


    ¡°I have lost my appetite,¡± I pushed the te aside.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Beth! Oh my God I thought I¡¯ll never see you again,¡± I hurried toward her as she and the other girls walked into my room.


    ¡°ra!, sorry Lady ra,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Beth the familiarity is not needed here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m just very excited to see you again. Is this really you?¡±


    ¡°Flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°When they said you had returned to the manor I didn¡¯t believe it. But after the news came that three ves are needed as personal maids for you, I opted to be chosen hoping that it would be you. And truly it is you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you have left the manor,  perhaps been shipped away to somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Well I guess I don¡¯t fit to be shipped away. It¡¯s so good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    We moved in for a hug thatsted a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to lose your baby.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it took me losing my baby to be here. But all the same this is a much better space than it was before.¡±


    ¡°I know right?¡±


    ¡°Now that I have been granted my freedom, perhaps I could talk Ryan into letting you go too.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t think you should. I wouldn¡¯t want to cause you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Look, you aren¡¯t asking this of me. I am doing it on my own ord. I have been a ve before so I know what it means to wake up everyday hoping that it would be better. I have gotten to this height so I must try to do something to help you out anyway that I can.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but being your personal maid is good enough for me you know. Many ves will kill to be in this same room with you.¡±


    ¡°Well,  I have made up my mind and I am going to talk to Ryan about you.¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± she called out.


    ¡°Chill Beth and let me handle this. If it doesn¡¯t work out, then we would know that I tried.¡±


    ¡°It is even more difficult to hold up to false hope.¡±


    ¡°I know Ryan. He would listen. Just rx and let me do this okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡±


    ¡°Okay,  now who are these otherdies?¡± I pointed to the twodies who stood close to the door.¡±


    ¡°The other ves I was assigned to work with you with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be needing them,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you send them back, they would have to go back to the ve quarters.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked the first one.


    ¡°Mariam.¡±


    ¡°Mariam. And you,¡± I asked the other one.


    ¡°Laura.¡±


    ¡°Okay Mariam and Laura. I do not need an extra maid. I am better off by myself and I also have Beth here to support me.¡± I took a nce at Beth and then back at them, ¡°but I would not be letting you guys off like that because if I do, you know what follows. Laura you would be working at the winery here in the manor while Marian, you would work in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much Lady ra.¡±


    ¡°Now you guys can go,¡± I said as they both walked out of the rooms.


    ¡°Wow, this really soothes you.¡± Beth teased.


    ¡°What?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Lady ra?¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Yes, what can I do for you?¡± I acted along as we bothughed.


    ¡°Still feels like a dream.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right?¡±


    There was a loud thud at the door as we both turned towards it.


    ¡°Are you expecting anyone?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said walking towards it and in that instant, my heart froze as Patricia badged in.


    ¡°Patricia what are you doing here?¡± I asked. She walked around without saying a word looking with disgust as if she would find something that would confirm her suspicions. She walked up to Beth giving a stern look. Beth froze at her sight with her head bent avoiding any form of eye contact.


    ¡°Lady Patricia.¡±


    ¡°What are you still doing here?  Leave!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Beth said, her voice shook in fear as she ran out leaving just the two of us in.


    ¡°What do you want Patricia?  You just scared away my guest.¡±


    ¡°Guest? Or your fellow ve. I see that Ryan has given you the guts to speak to me without any iota of respect.¡±


    ¡°Well you bridged the respect line the very moment you badged into my room without knocking.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to me in that manner?  I can have your head on a tter you know.¡±


    I chuckled moving closer,  I didn¡¯t know what gave me such strength but I knew that I needed to tell her to her face everything that hung in my chest. She should have a piece of what she served others.


    ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t hear Ryan right when he said that I am no longer a ve and so I can speak to whoever crosses my boundary without my permission which you have done right now. I am going to put you at a ce if you keep on with this attitude of yours.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± she looked around for a while with a chuckle,  ¡°am I the one you just spilled all those trash words to?¡±


    ¡°Did you see anyone else in the room Patricia? You think you are better than me or any other person out there that you act every time without sympathy,  conscience or whatever little good attribute you must have locked up somewhere.¡±


    ¡°You have no fucking right to talk. To even look me in the eye while you speak. This is Ryan, all Ryan. Every time I ask myself what he sees in you. You aren¡¯t even that pretty nor smart,  you don¡¯t have a perfect body. Then what the fuck does he see in you?¡±


    She was right though,  that¡¯s one thing I have been asking myself for an answer. Do I really deserve sympathy from Ryan? But he was a good man that was why I had another opportunity to life and I knew no one, not even Patricia could be the judge of that.


    ¡°Ryan is a good man.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see, so that¡¯s the reason why you think that your little charms can work on him?¡±


    ¡°There are no charms Patricia, the earlier you see that. The better for you.¡±


    ¡°You fucking bitch. I am going to put you in your ce. Guards, seize her and make sure she doesn¡¯t see light again.¡±


    ¡°I have always wondered why Ryan never loved you, now I see why.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?!¡± Patricia screamed as she threw her palm whichnded heavily on my face.


    I gasped. Holding my face as I tried to catch my breath. My vision was still a bit hazy but I could hear the footsteps of the guards surrounding me.


    What had happened?


    My face burned even as I struggled to see. I definitely didn¡¯t see thating.


    ¡°Leave her. I don¡¯t need her services anymore,¡± I heard Patricia speak and then the door banging in it¡¯s hinges. Soon, It was quiet again.

 Chapter Forty-eight: HER NAME IS CLARA

    ¡°What happened?¡± Beth rushed in,  ¡°I saw her leave with the guards. I thought they were going to take you with them. I¡¯m d they didn¡¯t. What did she want?¡±


    ¡°Apparently she had other ns,¡± I took my hands off my chin as I turned to face her.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Apart from the fact that you have a red chin, then no.¡±


    ¡°Oh God,¡± I rolled my eyes as I turned towards the window.


    ¡°I should apply a balm over it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just hope it goes sooner. Ryan shouldn¡¯t see this.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Ryan walked in.


    Oh shit.


    I ced my palm over my chin the same time I turned to face the door were he walked in. But I was sure he didn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Hey,  Ryan. Back so soon. How was the trip?¡±


    ¡°It was no fun only work, so much work.¡±


    ¡°Good day Sire,¡± Beth said to Ryan and then turned to me, ¡°I would go get the balm.¡± She walked out.


    ¡°Balm? What do you need a balm for?¡± He asked moving closer but I retreated and rece my palm with a piece of clothing.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ It¡¯s for my feet,  I have been walking around and now they ache.¡±


    ¡°Your feet?¡± He asked moving closer.


    ¡°Ye¡­ Yes,¡± I stuttered.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s over your face?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then why the clothing?¡±


    ¡°It brings a cooling sensation to it so I decided to ce it there for a while.¡±


    ¡°You know you are very bad at lying right?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you would believe me.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon,  you can¡¯t fight it. Just let it go,¡± he said as he took the piece of clothing away from my face.


    ¡°Ryan¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°This is clearly not nothing. Would you speak or do I go and find out by myself?¡±


    ¡°Ryan, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°ra a red face does not just spring up from nowhere so its either you tell me now or I would go out there and bring out the truth someway somehow, you know I can do that right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Patricia.¡±


    ¡°Oh,  I should have thought.¡±


    ¡°She came here and I said something really hurtful to her.¡±


    ¡°You never get tired of defending her, do you?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want anymore drama, she could have done something worse to me but she didn¡¯t. I think we should just let this slide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but no.¡±


    ¡°Ryan, look¡­¡±


    ¡°ra, you should be on bed rest. Not receiving hot ps. You are just recovering this isn¡¯t good for you health at all. Who knows what could have happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing happened asides from my red cheek and I am grateful for that. Let¡¯s just end this. It¡¯s just a few weeks left right?¡±


    ¡°I would be right back,¡± he turned to leave and I held him back.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything dreadful,¡± I said, he ced his palm on my cheek and looked directly into my eyes for while but he said nothing instead he turned back and headed out.


    My heart raced as I paced around the room. I didn¡¯t know what step to take next if I should fall back on my bed and forget anything ever happened, listen to old tales from Beth and drink cinnamon tea until it all fades into a bad memory. Or run after Ryan to stop whatever tragic event that was about to unfold. It was just all packed in my head. My confused mind had already began to take over as I missed steps stumbling on my pace. Perhaps my mind already knew the answer to what I should do next. I grabbed a veil cing it over my head to over my face as I ran out following Ryan¡¯s trail.


    ¡°Patricia!¡± He barked,  his voice echoed through the walls.


    ¡°Patricia!¡± He called out again.


    ¡°Ryan,  darling. Why do you call me that way I am here,¡± Patricia stepped out in a fine flowing sleep dress that revealed her shoulders.


    ¡°You would address me as your lord!¡± He said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I saw the confusion in her eyes until she rested them on me.


    ¡°I warned you Patricia but you are just so stubborn.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s voice had been too loud that everyone had left their duty post and gathered towards the hallway. I trembled as I watched the drama unfold from the distance.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Beth whispered behind me she had returned with the balm.


    ¡°Ryan found out about it.¡±


    ¡°And he sure didn¡¯t find it funny,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am still in the maze Ryan¡­ Uhmm my lord,  what is this all about?¡± She chuckled looking around, the guards already surrounded her.


    ¡°I told you that Lady ra is not a ve and you disobeyed my orders by going into her room to assault her.¡±


    ¡°No, was that was she told you,¡± Sheughed hysterically, ¡°Oh silly girl, she must have been exaggerating. Yes, I went to confront her. I mean who wouldn¡¯t but an assault, that¡¯s too far. Look, Ryan whatever it is, we can sort it out indoors without the crowd. Everyone go back to your duty post!¡± She yelled but no one seemed to listen to her as they didn¡¯t move an inch.


    I felt her frustration as she looked around lost and short of what to say. Ryan already had his eyes in bloodlust as rage had taken over and so I knew that there was nothing I could do other that watch from a corner just like everyone else.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed my orders Patricia you of all people should know what I do to disloyal subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Ryan c¡¯mon, it¡¯s not that serious.¡±


    ¡°Seize her! And make sure she doesn¡¯t see light again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°The dark room, she is been taken to the darkroom. That¡¯s even worse than the dungeon,¡± Beth whispered.


    ¡°I know, I have been there before, it is really a horrible ce,¡± I said.


    ¡°Let me make this as a sound warning to everyone. Thatdy over there,¡± he pointed towards my direction, at this point I wanted to be swallowed by the earth.


    ¡°¡­ is not a ve. Her name is ra and anytime you see her anywhere around you, you treat her with utmost respect. Anyone who disobeys this would face the consequences. She should be treated as a queen because she is one.¡±


    Oh Ryan what are you doing?


    ¡°I just hope that she gets to see that. And with that being made clear, you all can return to your posts.¡±


    As Patricia was being dragged away, she turned towards me with a vicious stare. Whatever thought that she had going through her head, I knew very much that it didn¡¯t include me living. It was as though the more I tried to feel free, the more it appeared that I wasn¡¯t. Indeed freedom came with a cost. I was at war.

 Chapter Forty-nine: THE JAILER

    ¡°What do I do Beth?¡± I asked pacing around the room.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at the situation. I am the cause of all of this. Now Patricia is in the dark room because of me. I need to fix this.¡±


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. Ryan was the one that sent her there not you and besides, she deserves it.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t. Technically I stole the man she is in love with.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not your fault. She could have bear her loss like everyone else and not be so hard about it. Shit happens. So rx and let me work on that face of yours.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand the fact I am part of the reason she is in there.¡±


    ¡°But you should be happy that she is in there. After all, she has never been nice to you or anyone at all. She cares about no one but herself.¡±


    ¡°Well I was a ve, what do you expect?¡±


    I settled on the bed just besides Beth forcefully exhaling.


    ¡°I need to fix this.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If she was in there for a different reason all together, then I wouldn¡¯t have bothered much but I feel like I have a huge part to y in this.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°I think I should talk to Ryan.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh no that¡¯s a horrible idea. Did you see his eyes? They glowed red in rage.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would go now. I would wait a little bit, maybe for a day or two when he ispletely calm and then speak to him about it. I hope he would listen.¡±


    ¡°Well he would.¡±


    ¡°You sound so sure.¡±


    ¡°Yes I am. I mean after what happened today, it is obvious he is clearly in love with you.¡±


    ¡°What? No of course not,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°You know that he is. I have never seen him re for anything concerning the welfare of this manor let alone a woman? It¡¯s you ra, you made this happen.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t agree to that.¡±


    ¡°The earlier you see this the better. Ryan, the Alpha King is madly in love with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh please,¡± I scoffed.


    There was a tap at the door and one of the maids walked in.


    ¡°Madam Ana seeks your presence,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh God, this just got worse,¡± I muttered.


    ¡­


    ¡°Yes, you asked to see me,¡± I said as soon as I got into her chambers.


    She had the same look that I had all day, the wrinkles behind her eyes were much visible shying away from the concealer. Her dressing matched her uneasiness as she paced around the room.


    ¡°What have you done ra?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ma but I am lost by your words.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act innocent! I know that you know what I speak of. I go on a few days trip and I return to hear that Patricia has been thrown into the dark room by the orders from the Alpha King because of a certain girl named ra. I asked what went wrong and no one can ce a finger of what she actually did wrong. I have called you here to tell me what the fuck happened.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°You know what? Save it. I don¡¯t want to know about it anymore.¡±


    She moved closer as she pulled my chin upwards with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Whatever you did or said that made him throw her there, go back and undo it. Fix this! Or a red chin would be smallpared to what I would do to you. Now get out!¡±


    I had earlier nned on meeting up with Ryan in a few days time to talk about Patricia but with pressure pressing down on me, I knew that I didn¡¯t have a few days to spare.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out as soon as I got to the door of his chambers. It was somewhat ajar and so I could see to where he was seated; at his study table.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out again as I slowly pushed the door open.


    ¡°Oh ra I didn¡¯t see you there,¡± he left the chair as he walked towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I interrupted you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine you are weed anytime. Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I settled in in the chair beside the study table.


    ¡°Are you okay? How is your face?¡±


    ¡°It is okay, Beth made sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± he moved towards me taking his hands over my face. I was frozen in time and space. I felt his breath on me. The warmth caressing the rims of my face skin down to my neck. The subtle scent ofvender filled my nostrils. As I looked up to him catching his gaze in the dim lights, my heart raced. His hands against my flesh stirred excitement in between my thighs as I shivered. And then he stopped moving his hands as he fixed his eyes on me now. I wanted to look away but he pulled me closer so I would only look at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look away, lets have this moment.¡±


    I had lost every will to speak,  I wanted to have this moment with him,  to share started that would live on as memories. It would calm our thoughts when they be like a turbulent wind and so I didn¡¯t argue.


    He leaned forward this time I could hear by breathing as I began to gasp for one. His nearness has stolen my breath away and it was as though I was lost in this maze. I wanted him as much as he wanted me or maybe even more.  He pushed further again. I shut my eyes taking in all that he brought my way.


    ¡°I want you ra,¡± he whispered, his skin against mine ced us in a rhythm that set our heart at a sync. I carved for his touch, my desires were just as his until we both heard a thud at the door and I pulled away like I was being zapped out of a trance; his charms.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He leaned forwards again.


    ¡°We should stop Ryan.¡±


    I pulled further away from him leaving the chair entirely as I stood at a distance.


    ¡°C¡¯mon ra,  I know that you feel the same way I feel for you. Why do you always fight it?¡±


    ¡°Look I am sorry I led you on but that¡¯s not why I am here Ryan.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It is about Patricia.¡±


    ¡°And what about her?¡±


    ¡°You need to let her out of the dark room.¡±


    ¡°Why? She disobeyed my orders by hurting you she would never see the light again.¡±


    ¡°Ryan please, I feel like this is all my fault.¡±


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I walk around the manor, everyone looks at me like I am some viin. I know that she hurt me but please just let her out.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t matter, no one else does. Why do you even want her out? I am doing this for you. To make you happy.¡±


    ¡°I know Ryan. I love that you care for me this much. Trust me, I do.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I would only consider this on just one condition ra, he held my hands tightly in his grip.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°I want you to answer this, do you love me?¡±


    Wait what? How did I not see that this was a trap?


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Beth rushed towards me as I got back in, ¡°Did he agree to it?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t really say.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? I thought that you went to speak with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I replied coldly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked.


    I was caught in between telling her what exactly happened between Ryan and I, the shared moment from his caring words to caresses to the time when he leaned in for a kiss which I eventually ruined. Could I tell her about what he had asked me? Even I didn¡¯t know the answer to that.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Nothing I can¡¯t handle. I guess he was just distracted I would speak to him about it again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then you shouldn¡¯t be worried about it. I know that he would listen,¡± She said.


    ¡­


    The next few days,  Iid locked up in my room avoiding the gazes from the servants and maids,  some had eyes of hope. Those that loved what Ryan had done to Patricia saw me as some savior.


    Perhaps she was like a tyrant not just to me but to some of them. Some other half just couldn¡¯t rte to the joy of not having her around maybe they had not had a personal encounter with her or preferred her being around to Madam Ana who had be vicious like a merciless tyrant who red up for no reason at all.


    I stayed away from Ryan as farther as I could avoiding his path until I could no longer cope with having to hide from him again.


    Beth posed as my eyes and ears to the outside world giving me food and whatever I needed. She was the only reason Ryan stayed away from my room,  she had just the right words to say to him keeping him out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can keep up with this. Eventually, you would have toe out or let him see you.¡±


    ¡°Just hold on for a little longer. I am still not ready to meet him or anyone else.¡±


    ¡°What did you say happen again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should worry your head about. And besides I am only doing this to get his attention so he would release Patricia. Do you think that it is working?¡±


    ¡°I guess so, he gets more furious whenever I deliver the decline message to him. The other day, he even mmed against the desk. I am getting scared ra.¡±


    ¡°As long as he gets that angry then there is progress. He needs to bulge so Patricia would be out. I don¡¯t like the way Madam Ana looks at me every time we cross paths. Her patience is running out, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°I am d you feel we are making progress but whatever it is, you have to figure it out. Get your shit straight. To you I am your friend but to him and everyone else here, I am nothing but a mere servant, a ve. No one gives a shit about me they can have my head anytime. Just have it in mind that if he insists on seeing you any further, then I would have no choice than to let him.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s just a matter of time and you wouldn¡¯t have to hold on for me any longer and no one is having your head.¡±


    I guess I spoke so soon. Beth was right, she was only a ve and Ryan would eventually run out of patience and might likely pounce on her. I feared for her and I knew that I would not stand it if she gets hurt just because of me. I had to dismiss her services for the time. Which brought me back to the point were I was left alone in my room without the slightest idea of what I would do next.


    In between my drowsy state I heard a knock on the door, it was low and brief. Just the way I asked Beth to knock whenever she came around.


    ¡°Beth?¡± I called out but no one responded.


    Then I moved closer, ¡°Beth is that you? I told you not toe,¡± I whispered but there still wasn¡¯t any response which was a bit unusual. But my stomach ached from having to eat nothing all day. The thought of her carrying one of those food sacks along caused me to open the door in a hurry. But it wasn¡¯t Beth.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out, ¡°I feared it would be you,¡± I added.


    ¡°Well, you gave me no choice. I even had to pay your maid a visit.¡±


    ¡°Beth,¡± I gasped,  ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    ¡°She is fine. I am not a monster ra.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to know why you have been avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°You have refused to release Patricia even after I begged you to.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you have been avoiding me?  Because of Patricia?¡±


    I looked away folding my arms.


    ¡°Look ra, I am in love with you and you are keeping me on the fence. I need to know if you feel the same way I feel.¡±


    ¡°Ryan, I don¡¯t want to talk about that.¡±


    ¡°Well,  that¡¯s the only way I can release Patricia.¡±


    ¡°This is insane. Why do you always do this?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I think? I think that you feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you didn¡¯t, then why did you flee from me and refuse to see me after that day I asked you if you loved me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a really poor analogy.¡±


    ¡°Well, tell me something that actually makes sense.¡±


    ¡°You asked a really sensitive question that I was clearly not in the right frame of mind to answer. Just stop changing the freaking topic and release Patricia.¡±


    ¡°Then answer the damn question! do you love me?!¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t love you. Now I have answered the fucking question, let Patricia go and leave me alone! Leave!¡± I screamed. My voice quivered, tears rushed down freely. I saw Ryan¡¯s eyes too not so vibrant as it first was. Perhaps I could have given a different answer but with the pressure I could only give out what came first to my head.


    ¡°It took you days and so much pressure to give out a reply,. He chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll release Patricia. But you and I know that you are only bluffing.¡±


    He turned to leave.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called him back, ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that to me again. You have no right to put me under such pressure, don¡¯t do that.¡± I sniffed wiping tears off my eyes.


    He said nothing only a chuckle as he walked out of the room leaving the door ajar.


    No? Was it really no?


    Perhaps my quest for freedom had clouded a lot of things, even my feelings.

 Chapter Fifty: THE TRIP

    Ryan kept to his promise and Patricia was let out of the darkroom. I stood there watching as she fell on her mother¡¯s arms with tears flowing freely from her eyes. I wanted to go over and speak to her, to apologize for what had happened.


    It might mean nothing to her or anyone that stood around watching but I knew just how much it would mean to me that I showed her how sorry I was and the thought of it was torture. I moved closer towards them but madam Ana noticed me and signalled that I stopped.


    ¡°What do you want, you ve? Haven¡¯t you done enough?¡±


    ¡°Please I just came to apologize for what happened.¡±


    ¡°You can leave ra. We don¡¯t need any more of your troubles.¡±


    ¡°Mom, please let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Patricia said and they both walk passed me without even looking back. I stood there lost in words. All I have ever longed for was peace but it was clear that I wouldn¡¯t get a hold of it as it still felt very far from me.


    The manor remained quiet as the night came fast. Iid still for a bit with nothing in particr to ponder about until my eyes fell close to sleep.


    The sky still had its dark blue lining by the time I opened my eyes to a muffled noise. It came from the window. I crawled out of bed rubbing my hands over my eyes to keep them awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± I muttered as I walked towards the window. Although it was still a bit dark, but I could see the car right outside with the back door open. Madam Ana walked towards it with a luggage as she put it into the trunk.


    ¡°Is she leaving?¡± I watched closely, ¡°But this doesn¡¯t make sense, she leaves, then who would control the affairs of the manor especially the ves?¡± I still couldn¡¯t ce it. So I leaned closer. At least, it would be an honour to be the first to see her leave.


    But then, she walked back again but as she returned this time, she seemed to be walking back with someone that she talked to. I didn¡¯t hear exactly what they said but just the muffled sound of their voices. And then, Patricia came along.


    She looked properly dressed than Madam Ana with a purse over her shoulder. She hugged her, squeezing her in her arms for seconds but before she got into the car, she looked up towards the window to find me there.


    I hadn¡¯t expected that and so I froze until she looked back at her mother getting into the car. I jerked to the sound of the knock on the door. Couldn¡¯t think who it was as I hurried to open it.


    ¡°Ryan, you are here so early. What¡¯s wrong?¡± I walked back to the window.


    ¡°I would be going on a trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay¡­ I guess you came to see how I am doing. Well, I¡¯m doing just great. Have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°What is it? You keep looking out the window. What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that Patricia is leaving?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He walked over to the window and watched with me.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, good riddance,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Do you know that she was leaving before now?¡±


    ¡°No, I had no idea.¡±


    But I still stared at him.


    ¡°What? You think I did this?¡±


    ¡°Well, you have been doing quite a lottely.¡±


    ¡°No, ra you have to trust me. I didn¡¯t do this. But, it¡¯s best she left.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are sure going to miss her.¡±


    ¡°Why say so?¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly you guys used to be friends.¡±


    ¡°And who said we aren¡¯t? She can be a hot head but she is still my friend. At least I still consider her as one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I am d that you are here I was nning oning over to your chambers soon.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I was only nning toe and remind you that I would be gone in a few days.¡±


    ¡°In a few days?¡± He acted surprised.


    ¡°I have kept the end of my own bargain now it¡¯s time to keep yours by letting me go. The thirty days is almost up and as you can see, I am okay so there isn¡¯t any need staying here. I have caused a lot of havoc already.¡±


    ¡°But your presence is still very much needed.¡±


    ¡°By who?¡±


    ¡°By me.¡±


    ¡°Ryan please don¡¯t start. A deal is a deal.¡±


    ¡°At least I still have a few days left to see your face and be with you,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°What about your trip? How long would you be gone for?¡±


    ¡°A couple of days. ra,  I want you toe with me.¡±


    ¡°What? No Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Please, it would be worth your time and you can see this as an opportunity to look at other part of the town you didn¡¯t get to see. To make up for lost times. C¡¯mon ra, it would be fun trust me.¡±


    I headed for the bed with Ryan¡¯s words still on my mind. Ryan had always taken trips and I knew that going on this one with him would mean a lot to him. He deserved to be happy after showing kindness when many didn¡¯t. I felt I owed him that.


    ¡°What¡¯s this trip about and when are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a meeting of Alpha¡¯s at the werewolf council. I got a call from the Alpha council. They need me at an important meeting. More of an emergency though.¡±


    ¡°And you want me there? Wouldn¡¯t there be like a restriction or something?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are allowed to bring our plus one and we would leave right away if you agree to do this with me. ¡±


    ¡°Alright that¡¯s fine, I woulde with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh this is the best news I have heard all day ra, you have no idea.¡±


    ¡°If I would be going then I need to look my best. So kindly excuse me,¡± I showed him the door.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    In a few minutes I was ready. Ryan took my hands as we headed out of the manor. Patricia¡¯s absence somehow restored a kind of serenity and inner peace. I didn¡¯t know if anyone else felt it, but I knew very much that I did.


    I didn¡¯t have to look over my shoulders for who wasing,  hid behind the curtains by the window whenever I wanted to look through or peek twice for assurance that she wasn¡¯t the one behind the door whenever there was a knock. It just spelt peace.


    I had missed seeing thends and the green grasses and leaves of a forest. The ride was smooth with just a soft tune ying in the car. I sat opposite Ryan in the limo. A verypromising position as I caught Ryan staring a couple of times even if he tried to hide his eyes whenever I found them on me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite follow,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why are you staring?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t staring.¡±


    ¡°Oh please quit it. You can¡¯t quite take your eyes off me.¡±


    ¡°Well do you me me?  You are the fairest of them all. I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    I scoffed looking out the window as we approached a magnanimous edifice. The building looked centuries old with its greyish brick high walls.


    ¡°We are here,¡± he announced.


    The driver pulled the car to a halt as we got to the parking lot. Ryan open the door for me taking my hands in his.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked leading me forward.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± I smiled.


    Just then,  he stopped abruptly staring at a car parked in the secluded area of the parking lot.


    ¡°Wow! Now that¡¯s a ride,¡± I gasped at the sight of the car. But Ryan didn¡¯t see it that way.


    ¡°Whose ride is that?¡± I watched his furrowed brows.


    ¡°The Lycan King. He is here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not surprised it¡¯s his ride. I mean he should be called the Lycan King for a reason,¡± I said but he still held the look, ¡°Is there something I should be worried about?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just that he never shows up for any of these meetings.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. Well, he is around now, I suggest you stop staring you are beginning to look ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    We got into the werewolf council chamber most people were already present as the hall was filled. Ryan was given a seat and I settled just behind him.


    ¡°Where is the Lycan King?¡± I heard one of the females whisper to her plus one.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t here yet, I guess he just left the moment he came. He never really shows up for these meetings.¡±


    The same words that Ryan had said. Perhaps no one had seen him in years.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this meeting all about?¡± I asked Ryan as he finally settled in.


    ¡°Not quite sure but I guess it has to do with the rumours.¡±


    ¡°What rumours?¡±


    ¡°For a while now, there has been rumours that a set ofws are to be added to the werewolf book of regtions.¡±


    ¡°But those are generational rules that can¡¯t be changed neither can anything be added or removed.¡±


    ¡°ording to these set of people that are responsible for this, the times are changing and the world is revolving. You don¡¯t expect this changes to pass us by. But most of the highest members guarding these rules are against this. If we don¡¯t arrest the situation soon, it can lead to something far more detrimental, like a war.¡±


    ¡°A war? That¡¯s really bad. This is indeed an important meeting.¡±


    ¡°One that requires the appearance of the Lycan King.¡±


    ¡°So where is he?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t think anyone has any idea of his whereabouts either,¡± I said watching the faces of the other members as they looked around. The hall was a bit rowdy for a while. People talked on top of their voicesining that had left their works to attend a meeting which was scheduled tomence hours ago.


    One of the speakers mounted the stage which drew everyone¡¯s attention back to it.


    ¡°Good day everyone, I know you all might be probably wondering why we haven¡¯t started this meeting after so long. We apologize for the dy.¡±


    ¡°Start the meeting already!¡± Someone shouted in the crowd.


    ¡°We await the presence of the Lycan King. As you all know, this is not like any other meeting. This is different and needs to be addressed with upmost discrete. It is of delicate matter.¡±


    ¡°But it is obvious that the Lycan king has other matters to deal with so we need to start without him. After all,  we have always had meetings of this magnitude without him. What makes this any different?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he has a point,¡± Ryan said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know this man but I sense that he has so much arrogance to keep the whole council waiting,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, you have no idea.¡±


    After a few more delegations the council came to a conclusion to finally have the meeting without the Lycan King.


    ¡°As you all know, there have been words that a set of werewolf in the high councils wanted to add new rules to the regtion books which is abominable. But they have been adamant and has gone to other means. Last night a body was found at the border and it was a member of a familiar pack,¡± the speaker began.


    ¡°This is just a sign that things are getting worse and if we don¡¯t do something really fast, it could lead to a war which we are not ready for at the moment,¡± he added.


    ¡°The lotus pack gets stronger with every soul that they take away from us.¡±


    ¡°What do we do about this?¡± A member asked from the crowd.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gather the rest of the pack, let¡¯s fight back. Let¡¯s fight for revenge. It¡¯s blood for blood, remember? That¡¯s the father¡¯s rule.¡± Someone from the crowd spoke out.


    ¡°Father¡¯s rule caused us a lot of life, so I am totally against that idea.¡±


    ¡°So what do you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°We need to keep guard and always be alert.¡±


    ¡°This is what we have been saying for over a decade.  We keep losing good men to these people. Theye at the weakest point and attack. Who knows who will be killed next? Because we refuse to meet to their silly demands.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to be in a rush when ites to matters like this. War only begets more war. We will never be at peace if we begin this war. Let¡¯s just keep watching a little more.¡±


    ¡°Why does this sound like words for a weakling?¡± I am ready, the rest of the pack is ready, they are just waiting for approval and this pack would be wiped off.¡±


    ¡°Are you calling me weak?¡± Well, let me remind you, perhaps you might have forgotten, I single-handedly defeated the Cringe and Derek¡¯s pack when they came raging a war. So if I tell you to watch and wait, you watch and wait!¡± The man¡¯s voice was already loud and sounded like a roar.


    ¡°Order! Order!¡± One of the speakers announced, ¡°this is a meeting not a ce to show powers. The big wooden door creaked open and everyone turned towards it. I was not exempted as I rested my eyes on him.


    It could have felt more realistic if it was a dream but it wasn¡¯t as I had just seen a bundle of an all in one manliness walk through the door. Could he be the ruthless Lycan King that they spoke of? But everyone seem to leave out the part that he was overly good-looking and emitted a really powerful and dominant aura.


    He stood for a while and looked around surveying the hall for a bit. The ck robe matched his skin as he depicted the god of handsomeness. I lost my gaze on him walking my eyes around him some more, I sure wasn¡¯t ready to take it off just yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte guys. But I guess the meetings already started without me. No one said anything as they waited for him to assume his position.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you guys. I see different faces. Beautiful ones at that. I guess I have missed a lot on this meetings. I wish,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Come here,¡±  he signalled one of thedies as she walked out of the arms of her plus one.


    The way he spoke and ordered everyone around I saw now why he was always tagged as arrogant. He was just another barrel of pride and nothing more and so I turned away waiting for the continuation of the meeting as I began to think of going back.


    ¡°You,¡± I heard a deep voice just behind me as I turned to find him trained at me, causing me to freeze up at once. At that moment, I felt everyone¡¯s eyes including Ryan on me.


    ¡°Me?¡± I asked as my heart leaped a beat but I didn¡¯t sumb to the fear and confusion that was arising instead, I stood upright awaiting his words.


    ¡°I know you. Kimberly¡­ right?¡± He murmured, head tilted sideways and I swallowed emptily while shaking my head.


    ¡°No Sire, I am not Kimberly. My name is ra,¡± I spoke out.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ra, that¡¯s a lovely name for a gorgeousdy,¡± he turned and faced the crowd, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it is of great honor that I announce to you all that I have found mydy,¡± then he turned towards me again, ¡°You!¡± He pointed at me.


    ¡°Me?¡± I echoed,pletely dumbfounded.


    ¡°I want you,dy ra, to be mine.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I froze.

 Chapter Fifty-one: KIERAN’S REQUEST

    My head was starting to spin.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I want you to be mine, ra.¡± He echoed once again.


    ¡°This must be some sort of joke. Thisdy here is mine. She is my fated mate,¡± Ryan walked up to the Lycan king as he spoke..


    Fated mate? He has got to be kidding me.


    This was supposed to be like a farewell time out. But now, it was as though I was the cause of an impending doom.


    ¡°Your fated mate?¡± He chuckled, ¡°And when have that been any of my concern. I am Kieran, the Lycan King. I get whatever or whoever I want.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry but not this one.¡±


    ¡°Ryan, you have to calm down. Let me handle this, I can speak for myself.¡± I mumbled, feeling embarrassed that this was happening in the presence of other pack leaders.


    ¡°And who are you to speak to me in that manner?¡± Kieran barked at Ryan.


    I had still not recovered from the shock of his words and hearing him speak more only caused a storm in my head. Maybe he was a prankster and he was only making good a joke.


    I wished.


    ¡°I am her mate and we are meant to be together. She is mine and so you can¡¯t have her. I¡¯m sorry but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see,¡± Kieran chuckled.


    I didn¡¯t know which was more rming, the fact that I was been wanted by a stranger like a piece of object to be auctioned or Ryan¡¯s continuously being so possessive about me.


    I was not a child. I wanted him to stop speaking for me. If he had actually granted me my freedom as he had imed, then he would have given me to opportunity to at least confront the situation by myself but instead he kept talking and spitting words to my face.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I screamed, ¡°Can you guys just stop!¡± I yelled again and everyone turned towards me.


    ¡°I thought this was supposed to be a meeting about the affairs of the people but here we are talking about who has possession about me. Did you guys even stop for a minute to ask me what the hell that I want? Ryan,¡± I turned towards him, ¡°I thought I would have my freedom what¡¯s all this about? I am not a child I can make these decisions by myself. And you Kieran, I don¡¯t even know you and I can¡¯t be yours. Let¡¯s just stop the whole drama and focus on what¡¯s at hand, please.¡±


    ¡°You are mine, ra and I am not going to let anyone, not even the Lycan King to take you away for me.¡±


    ¡°I thought we had an understanding?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Not in situations like this, ra.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± I said with tears swelling up by the corners of my eyes, I couldn¡¯t let them all see it so I fled the hall. I didn¡¯t know exactly were I was going but I needed the space to be able to think. Ryan had lied to me all along, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t ready to let me go.


    The thirty days was part of the n perhaps a means to keep me with him. Hearing him say those words only revealed that nothing could be real. I had thought the hurt was gone with the pains but clearly, there was a new one emerging from within. Having the hopes that I could actually be free only made it worse.


    Finally, I found the female rest room. I closed the door behind me taking off every bit of tears that was left by the corners of my eyes.


    Perhaps he only said those words to protect me.


    I knew Ryan cared but a bit too much. He had always hoped for something between us even when there was none emerging. There was no other way to tell him that there was no us. I just wanted to be free from all the clutches of bad rtionships I always ended being a part of.


    As I watched my face on the mirror I still saw the glint of hope in my eyes. I still had a few days to spend at the Manor, Ryan was no coward and so I knew that he would keep to his words.


    I didn¡¯t know how to face the people at the council again not after what had happened and so I nned on waiting in the limo until Ryan was ready to leave. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to see the many faces when the meeting was finally over.


    As if I suspected that someone wasing, I peaked just as I got out from the restroom to the hallway but it was as empty as when I first walked in at least so I thought. I walked down the hallway as fast as my leg could carry me. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly what I was walking away from but the more I thought about, the more it urred to me that I needed to get to the limo before anyone sees me.


    Still locked up in the clogged thoughts in my head I looked around and over my shoulders again that I did not see the person in front of me and so we jammed each other that I tripped on my step but before I could reach the ground, he held me closely looking into my eyes. The eyes were somewhat familiar as I realised just immediately that I was in the arms of the ruthless Kieran.  My heartbeat elerated almost immediately and I swallowed emptily, cheeks zing:


    ¡°Hey,¡± I pulled away just immediately and moved backwards a bit.


    ¡°And we meet again,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you. You look quite different without the robe. Why are you here? Are you following me?¡± I asked adjusting my dress.


    ¡°Of course not. I mean you got my message why then would I be following what is mine.¡±


    I scoffed at his arrogance, ¡°In you dreams, now if you would excuse me I was heading out.¡±


    ¡°You would be quite excluded mydy but just after this conversation.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You heard me quite well in the hall when I made the announcement or do you think I was bluffing. If you know me before now, you would know that I find it disgusting and a total waste of my precious time to bluff over what I want.¡±


    ¡°Can you even hear yourself? Does it not sound funny to you? You want someone that you don¡¯t even know and could probably be with someone else.¡±


    ¡°Ryan? Is that who you refer to? Sometimes I wonder who is much more ruthless. Anyway, that is not my problem right now. I saw it in your eyes when you spoke to him.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That you do not love him. But what I don¡¯t quite understand is this mysterious look in your eyes.¡±


    I looked away just immediately he said those words.


    ¡°They wander, searching for something that they just can¡¯t see. What is it that you are looking for? What do you hide behind those eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°They are mysterious and misery intrigues me. You intrigue me ra. As much as I know that I always get what I want, let me help you find what you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°I have found all that I am looking for and I don¡¯t need your help. Thanks for your concern.¡± He held my arms as I made to leave, then he dipped his hands in his pocket handing me a card.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°My number. If you change your mind and want to find that thing that you yearn for, all you have to do is call.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I don¡¯t need your card. Besides, I never admitted that I was looking for anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you not?¡± He asked fixing his gaze on mine. I didn¡¯t know how he did it but there was something about his eyes that sent chills through my body. It was though he saw through me like a transparent door. I snatched the card from his hand and he smiled leaving my arms as he walked ahead.

 Chapter Fifty-two: RYAN HAS GONE ROUGE

    ¡°ra, are you okay? You haven¡¯t said a word since we came back from that meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Alright,e to the diner, we would be having dinner together.¡± He offered, eyes trained on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I muttered as I squared my shoulders.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t eaten anything all day.¡±


    ¡°I said I am not hungry.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon ra, you and I know that that¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°So now you read minds too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are mad. Well if you still wouldn¡¯t talk, can we at least have dinner together? I can have the chef prepare whatever you want. Meet me at the diner if you change your mind,¡± he said as he walked away. I just stood there without words.


    The rumble in my stomach increased. At that point, I needed Beth perhaps she would have helped me with the meals and I wouldn¡¯t have to go to the diner to eat with Ryan so that he would not know how furious I was at the moment.


    I stood for a while without the slightest idea on what next to do except the fact that I needed something in my stomach. Without thinking any further, I walked down to the diner and he was already seated waiting for me. He smiled at me as soon as he sighted me walking towards him.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he said as I approached but I said nothing settling in. Just before I began digging in, Madam Ana walked in as she served the main course. I could feel a pound in my chest as soon as I saw her and all the incident involving Patricia reyed in my head. I quickly looked away  but there was no were to hide. But something was different about her. It was the way she looked at me.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The fire that I usually saw in her eyes was just left with its smokes, even the sparks that usually burned whenever she spoke fiercely to me was absent. They looked lost perhaps without her daughter around life was different. I hated the fact that I still felt guilty about it. She just dropped the dish and walked away without saying a word and I was left to face Ryan again.


    ¡°You still have that look,¡± he said


    ¡°What look?


    ¡°The one you had all through the ride.¡±


    ¡°What is going on in that head of yours?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps a lot.¡±


    ¡°Care to share?¡±


    ¡°No Ryan, I came here to eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s eat then. Then maybe we can talk about what is bothering you up there,¡± he smiled. One of the maids dropped a bottle of wine just in front of me.


    ¡°No, give her the red wine,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The red wine is good for you.¡±


    ¡°A doctors prescription?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, its just what¡¯s best for you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck Ryan,¡± I threw the fork back on the dish.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like the meal?¡±


    ¡°Why do you always do this?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Act like you care when you clearly don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, have I done anything to upset you?¡±


    ¡°You do this every time and you are still not seeing what you have done?¡±


    ¡°Can you just speak in in terms. I am a bit confused.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, of course, I¡¯ll tell you. If I am free as you imed, then you would have to let me make certain decisions by myself.¡±


    ¡°Is this about the wine? Or something else.¡±


    ¡°Just get the point. I know that you say you care about me but you really have to allow me do things myself. I am not your responsibility. I am a grown woman and I can handle shits myself.¡±


    ¡°I am only looking out for you. How would you not want that?¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t? I am not ungrateful. I appreciate you a lot. Don¡¯t get me wrong. But you know that you really have to stop doing all of this.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get what you should be ring about. Every girl would want this.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am not every girl and you should know that. And one more thing, what was that all about at the meeting?¡±


    ¡°What was what?¡±


    ¡°The banter with Kieran.¡±


    ¡°I was only trying to protect my territory. At least now he would know that you belong to me.¡±


    ¡°Ryan you must really be a joker to actually think that I belong to you.¡±


    ¡°ra, can¡¯t you see what he is trying to do to us.¡±


    ¡°Us? Ryan,st I remember there is no us. And besides, I am leaving in a few days. Maybe after then, you would know that I can make these decisions by myself. You know what? I was actually very hungry when I came up here to eat with you. But it is clear that its not going to happen. I think I just lost my appetite.¡± I left the table as I walked out.


    ¡°Where are you going to? C¡¯mon ra, lets not ruin this beautiful time now,¡± he called out as he trailed behind me.


    ¡°Well, toote you already ruined it. Just stop following me.¡± I didn¡¯t return to the dinning neither did I even turn back.¡±


    ¡°At least tell me were you are hurrying to,¡± he kept walking on.


    ¡°Oh I thought you were following me? Tired already? Well if you must know, I am going to my room to pack up whatever is valuable enough for me to go with.¡±


    ¡°But its not thirty days yet.¡±


    ¡°I know, a few more days and I would be out of here. I am just making the necessary preparations.¡±


    ¡°Now you are making me feel bad.¡±


    ¡°You make me feel worse sometimes Ryan, really you do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ra,¡± he said as he both stood by the door of my room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about telling me that you are sorry every time. I just need you to understand that we have certain boundaries. We aren¡¯t in any rtionship  and we will never be. And I would really appreciate it if you can stuck to what you promised. Stick to your words and let me go. Kieran is just a proud psycho. His words aren¡¯t important and so they shouldn¡¯t matter to you. What matters is what happened right here. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, that is why I can¡¯t let him or anyone else have you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Before I could realize what was going on, I felt a hard push on my back as I fell face down into the room. He closed the door behind me. I hurried back on my feet to get to the door but I was only there on time to hear its several clicks in thetch and then the final lock.


    ¡°Ryan! Ryan! What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ra but I can¡¯t let you go. I can¡¯t let anyone else have you. I¡¯ll send the guards to bring you your meal and whatever it is that you want.


    ¡°Ryan please let me out! you promised that I was free and not a ve anymore¡± I frantically hit the door but it just wouldn¡¯t budge.

 Chapter Fifty-three: THE PRISONER

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a ve anymore, I mean my words. You would be treated like the princess that you are.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ryan, we can talk about this. Just let me out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that ra, don¡¯t you get it? The Lycan King is powerful he always have his ways. If I let you go  he woulde for you and he would have you all to himself. He is even more ruthless and doesn¡¯t treat his ves kindly. I can¡¯t stand anyone treating you like that. I am doing this for your own safety.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Ryan. Trust me, I do. But you would have to let me out of here, please, Ryan! You are really going crazy. Don¡¯t let whatever Kieran said get to your head. He could just be bluffing. You know he is arrogant,¡± my eyes had be blurry as tears ran down my cheek.


    ¡°I have to go, I wille back shortly to check on you. Hang tight.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave! Let me out!¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear his voice again from behind the door. I slouched close to the door resting my back on it. Ryan could have done better, he imed to love me but sitting there only meant that he hadn¡¯t kept to his promise. All the thoughts of getting to leave and seeing a better world somehow went underneath the surface. I didn¡¯t want it to be buried.


    Hoping had be exhausting, I just wanted to live for a moment without having to answer to anyone. But the more I sat there wondering, the more it urred to me that I was going to be there longer than I thought. Ryan didn¡¯te back as he had promised that he would. He didn¡¯t send the maids to bring the food, it was like I had beenpletely forgotten. Iid on my back as the cold marble floor calmed me watching the ceiling still on the dress I had worn for the meeting.


    Lying there put thoughts in my head which only felt more like memories. The memories of life that I have once lived, as a prisoner. Thrown in the carriage by the ve traders, stuffy in there as I stared at the nothingness.


    The neck stripes of the dress began to feel much tighter than it actually was. Even after a few adjustments as I struggled with the dress it only felt worse. I took off the buttons and then the whole dress getting into something much lighter.


    Much better.


    My chilly back had began to ache from having to lie for so long by the time that I opened my eyes again. The sun already brought its lights through the window causing a stream of warmth. Just then, I heard the keys from the door outside as I hurried towards it finding the door open.


    ¡°Oh thank God,¡± I heaved.


    Perhaps sleeping through things had really worked for Ryan. I could feel the anger melt away into sweat as I opted for a stroll around. Being locked up in a confined space had awoken a part of me that I had left buried for so long. And I knew that it would have to take a lot more to put it back.


    As I stepped into the hallway, I was caught in between going over to see Ryan perhaps to have a talk with him but then, I didn¡¯t know if I was ready to face his possessive words and carelessness. I just needed my moment so badly and so I headed for the big wooden door.


    I walked towards the exit door and just when I got close, the two guards moved forward keeping me from reaching the door. I made another attempt to move perhaps they could be up for a games of some sort but instead they held me backwards.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    ¡°You have been restricted from further movement.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am but we are just following strict instructions.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, I presume this could be some of your jokes or prank but I am not in the mood for any of that now. I had a really bad night and would like to take a stroll around for a while. What is all of this?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Like we said, we are just following strict instructions¡±


    ¡°From who? Madam Ana?¡± I asked, they gave each other a nce and said nothing throwing me in a state that I just couldn¡¯t understand. I felt my head burning, the desire to just push them off and have my way through.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ryan right? He gave you guys this fucking instruction,¡± without another word, I walked back the hallway with just one thought on my mind; to speak to Ryan.


    How could he? At first it was locking me in the room all night and now he had to get the guards involved. He had clearly outdone himself this time. I matched down as fact as my legs could carry me with the one destination that never left my head. I didn¡¯t know what exactly I would say to him once I eventually reach there, but I was in a mood to rant, scream and pour out every frustration that he had put on me.


    I just wanted a stroll under the sun, to be able to move around again, a clear indication of the freedom that he had imed to have given me but right there, I could get none, what was worse than that?


    I walked up to his Chambers as I folded my fist to knock but then, there were voicesing from within. Ryan never had any meeting in his Chambers no matter how personal they could be. I had never seen him with any other woman after that night with Patricia. I didn¡¯t know if it was jealously that blocked my wind pipe but I was definitely feeling something.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    A feeling that wasn¡¯t exactly good for me at that moment. My feelings with Ryan had always been unclear perhaps, because he never really gave me the chance to own my shit so I dint know if I actually cared about him, or if I only cared because he asked me to. Confusion eluded me.


    The more I stood behind that door, curiosity sprung up. I just wanted to know who he conversed with and so leaned forward cing my ears on the door but what I heard didn¡¯t sound like the voice of a pleasured man or a soft-spoken damsel gasping her moans. Instead, they sounded personal, as if he thought his next words properly before he spoke.


    Ryan was many things but his pride was at a height that awarded him so much courage and so he feared no one. None of his meetings were in closed doors. But whatever this was, it was something he didn¡¯t want anyone to know about. I leaned more, shutting my eyes to get even the slightest detail. And then, I finally got something, a word.


    ¡°Fortnight.¡±


    Whatever it is that was being cooked up, it was going to happen in a fortnight.

 Chapter Fifty-four: WHAT IS COOKING?

    Every possibility stood that it might not be anything about me. I knocked anyway.


    ¡°Ryan, it¡¯s me ra,¡± I said and the whispers stopped just immediately.


    ¡°Hey ra,¡± he opened the door, e in.¡±


    I walked inside looking around but there was no one, every where looked pretty intact and arranged.


    ¡°I thought I heard voices,¡± I said, ¡°Just surprised that there is no one here.¡±


    ¡°I was on a call.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see.¡±


    I waited for his words, he always loved to spill the  details of any meetings to me. But this one, he didn¡¯t which only kept the curiosity afloat but I didn¡¯t let it linger for too long because I hade in for another reason. I didn¡¯t want him to think that perhaps I had thought that he was with someone else and I had eavesdropped on some confidential information. I knew that he was hiding something. I just didn¡¯t know what and if it was any business of mine to worry my head about it.


    ¡°So ra, what brings you to my Chambers?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be here if you didn¡¯t tell your guards to lock me in.¡±


    ¡°Oh that?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that¡¯s just how it is.


    ¡°I don¡¯t seem to follow. First you locked me in my room and now this?¡±


    ¡°Look ra, I am doing this for you.¡±


    ¡°Right now, all I feel is that you are doing this for yourself, your selfish reasons. Are you sure all this act is not about something else? It is getting way too much.¡±


    ¡°What else could it be about? Look, I don¡¯t expect you to believe me but let me tell you a story.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a story, I need an exnation.¡±


    ¡°Just listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine,¡± I settle on the sofa, ¡°go on.¡±


    ¡°A few years ago there was this girl, Pam. She was beautiful and smart just like you and the best thing was that she was my fated mate. She had always wanted to go out there and study. So she got admission into a foreign school miles away from here. I had never seen her that happy the day she got the message. We were to be mated under the blood moon but that would only happen in three years so we thought it was perfect since she would conclude her studies in that time. And so she travelled with the promise that she would return just in time. I waited, with the hope that she would return. The blood moon came and went and she never returned. Rumours had it that they had seen her with the Lycan King a couple of times but he denied it when I confronted him about it. Up till today I have no idea where she is but he is back here and he wants you. I am never going to let that happen.¡±


    ¡°Ryan, I know what a betrayal feels like. Trust me I do. But I am not Pam neither am I her recement and history is not going to repeat itself because we aren¡¯t fated mates.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What is there not to understand? Just tell the guards to let me out. I am not going to run if that¡¯s what you think. I just want to take a stroll and I will be right back in. Maybe we can have another dinner together to make up for the other day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that we are going to have as many dinner as we want but not today.¡±


    ¡°Why? You have always wanted that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take any chances.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that even supposed to mean, Ryan?¡±


    Two guards worked in and he pulled out a needle and a syringe.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Tranquilliser. I don¡¯t want you to feel like you are a ve anymore. So this is going to help you rx okay. I am not going to hurt you, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Trust you?¡±


    I moved back but the guards held my arms.


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°I heard the pain in your voice when you call put to me in that locked room, I don¡¯t want to put you through that again. You¡¯d just be asleep and when you wake up, you¡¯d feel good as new.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a tranquilizer, I¡¯m fine. Please Ryan, can you just stop all of this? All of this is now beginning  to look like some scary game.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be fine,¡± he said moving closer, the guards held my arms straight. I just couldn¡¯t struggle any more as I had lost the will to.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± he said as soon as he was done and just sat there staring at him.


    ¡°You are going to be fine,¡± he said. The tranquilizer had already began to work on me. I could only see his silhouette on the walls and gradually my eye lids fell close.


    ¡°Take her,¡± those were the final words I heard before it all went silent.


    I sensed the lights from my eyes lids with freshly made honey pancakes rushing into my nostrils. The chirping birds that sounded a bit distanced a minute before now sounded as if they were lying right beside me.


    I gradually opened my eyes to find the white curtains dancing with the wind. The windows were opened and the birds rested on it chirping even louder as I tried to stand up. A sharp pain knocked me down again. At first, my memories were all nk. Just some ck empty space whenever I tried to remember how I had gotten back to my bed. Then slowly, it began to rush back to me, the guards by the door, Ryan¡¯s secret conversation and the tranquilizer.


    As much as I hated that he had injected me against my will, I saw what he meant by having to rest my mind. He was right. I held my head trying to get on my feet as it still felt like a hangover sighting the stacked up pancakes on the te with a ss of milk.


    ¡°Now that exins the aroma,¡± I muttered.


    There was a note beside it as I got close.


    Good morning sunshine, I know today is supposed to be the day you leave so, eat up.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± I turned that back of the page but there was nothing there. He sure knew how to keep me at the edge. But I didn¡¯t eat, I just couldn¡¯t. The first bite tasted stale and a bit off, maybe it was still the after effect of the tranquilizer.


    ¡°Perhaps he could let me have that stroll now,¡± I said as I headed to the door but it was locked.


    ¡°Let me out! Let me out of here!¡± I banged continuously but as usual, no one came.


    ¡°Fuck! Ryan.¡± I cussed, ¡°What should I do now? I need to get out of here.¡±


    Ryan couldn¡¯t keep me locked up again, not after all he had made me go through. Somehow, I knew if I spent another moment maybe I would actually go crazy. I moved towards the drawers as I searched through them, throwing stuff around searching for nothing in particr. And just at the end of the drawer, I found a hair pin.


    Perfect.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±


    I had never picked a lock before but the good news was, I had never gotten a reason to try. I inserted the pin in, keenly turning and twisting and just as I had expected, it clicked in itstch and the door opened. But that was just the beginning. Ryan could have kept his guards to watch and so I didn¡¯t open the door just immediately. I waited, pacing around the room until I could no longer hear the footsteps that passed by.


    I couldn¡¯t ce Ryan whereabouts at the moment but I needed to see him and speak with him without alerting his guards. And so I sneaked into his office by the end of the hallway with the hope to find him seated in his chair awaiting my arrival but there was no one there.


    ¡°Where could he be?¡± I turned to leave, but just then, a thought crawled up my mind. If I truly wanted my freedom, then I needed something, perhaps a way that I could finally earn it. I rushed towards his desk, looking through the drawers and piles of files but nothing that could help. Then I searched through the few books I could get my hands on the shelf and still found nothing, once again, hoping was exhausting.  And just when I turned to leave, something blue showed from underneath the shelf where it was hidden. I pulled it out. Something felt weird about it, it wasn¡¯t dusty like the rest of the books which only meant that it had been recently touched. But why was it hidden away unlike other things?


    Curiosity piqued and so I opened it.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I gasped at what I saw.

 Chapter Fifty-five: RYAN’S NOT SO LITTLE SECRET

    ¡°What is my birth certificate doing here? Why do i find my personal documents in the midst of Ryan¡¯s stuff? What could he be hiding?¡±


    There was a journal amongst the file. It had no name or inscription in front of it. I turned to the first page and a picture of my parents fell off.


    ¡°Mum, Dad,¡± I muttered as I looked at the picture for a while, I had missed them. I faced the journal again skimming through as fast as I could. Then I saw a highlighted phrase which read: THE PROPHECY AND POWERS OF TIME. And Ryan¡¯s handwritten words:


    After my parents death, I knew that I needed powers to rule and so I began my search for powers. These powers lies in the book of the prophecy. I have to find it.


    I turned to the next page: Could it be that all the answers I need lies in the child of the MALTHUS? The same people that took my parents away. A perfect revenge n.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I  found a piece of paper in between the page of the journal. It looked like a ripped out page from a much older book with a few words also highlighted.


    Every hundred years, a child in the MALTHUS bloodline are born with special powers. It would be thebination of all the ancient alphas who possessed the real powers of werewolf. This child would be the strongest and would live through time. But be warned, to every strong willed, there is always a weakness.


    ¡°A weakness,¡± I muttered turning to the next page reading through Ryan¡¯s written words.


    On the night of the blood moon, if the de of time is pierced through the heart of the Chosen one, the powers passes from the body of the chosen into the one who wields the de.


    ¡°The blood moon, that sounds familiar. When is the blood moon?¡± I asked looking through the pages.


    The blood moon is the red moon that urs after a millennium.


    ¡°When was thest blood moon and when is the next?¡± I looked through the pages again as I found a marked calendar.


    ¡°Oh my God, its in two weeks. The blood moon is in two weeks. If the blood moon is in two weeks, then it mean that¡­ oh my God!¡±


    ¡°The chosen one? What powers do they mean? This doesn¡¯t just makes any sense. Could it be that? No no, it can¡¯t be. I am not even powerful enough as a normal werewolf. Maybe it could be another family. If this is true howe my parents never mentioned it to me. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know too.¡±


    At this point, I had finally lost my cool as I paced aroundpletely forgetting where I was. And then like a needle that pricks through my flesh, it just came to me.


    ¡°Fortnight,¡± that was what I heard him say that day by the door. If I was wrong about every other thing, I just couldn¡¯t be wrong about this one. If what I had just gone through was real, then Ryan was never who I thought him to be. I felt my lungs copsing as I began to gasp for breath, my lips had gone dry and cold sweat appeared on my forehead. I didn¡¯t know how to wrap my head around anything.


    I was caught in between believing if it was actually true and saving myself from whatever it was. Voices came from around the office and I knew that I needed to leave just immediately. I navigated my way down to my room.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It was clear that Ryan had tricked me into believing that I could actually be free from his shackles. I crashed on the bed as soon as I got back into the room and the walls of the room didn¡¯t feel like home anymore instead it reminded me of the walls in the dungeon. Maybe I was thinking too far. I didn¡¯t know, but why did my heart keep beating so fast whenever I thought about it?


    Even if I tried to deny it, some part of me still wanted to believe that I was this chosen one and my days at the manor was numbered. It was either I leave or be a major part of whatever Ryan was cooking up and whatever it was, didn¡¯t feel good. All hopes came crashing down, it was worse now as I didn¡¯t feel safe being around the manor.


    I needed to do something and I knew that I needed to do it fast. My eyes felt hot and my head banged even more as I thought about it. Besides the loud bang in my head, my head just felt empty.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucked,¡± I shot my eyes as I fell to the ground tears rushed freely. I just couldn¡¯t control it. The lost hope, the fear that I might not just leave here but I might not leave here alive. Could it be that Ryan never really forgave my parents? It all made sense to me now why he had let my parents go and asked me to stay instead because I was the one valuable to him. He had kept me  awaiting the moment for when the blood moon was near.


    How could I have been so blind to everything that was going on around me? I had developed itchy feet. The manor wasn¡¯t safe anymore for me, in just a few more days, Ryan would lose it all and finally show me who he truly was, I wasn¡¯t ready to find out.


    ¡°How would I leave this ce? Fuck!¡± I threw off the clothes thatid on the bed and a card fell to the ground. I walked over it and recognised it. It was the card that Kieran had given at the meeting.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I know what I must do,¡± I chuckled as hope sprung up. I walked over to the phone darling the number from the card in it. It rang for a while as I paced around the room. And then there was a static sound before it connected.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I heard the voice from the other end.


    ¡°Hi, uhmm Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, the girl from the werewolf council meeting.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°ra.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I knew you would call. You just took longer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°This is not a time to show your pride and arrogance.¡±


    ¡°I guess you just needed the time to think about it. So have you decided toe with me or stay with your little Alpha King?¡±


    ¡°That is not why I called Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Then why have you called?¡±


    I heard footsteps approaching towards the door and then the keys from outside before the guards opened it. But I had been fast enough to cover the duvet over myself on the bed as I pretend sleep. I held the phone tightly and in a second, he was gone.


    ¡°Hello ra are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.. yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s going on over there?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m fine at least for now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you all about it but first, we need to see. I need your help and I don¡¯t want Ryan to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, meet me by the well in the woods by midnight. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I hung up.


    ¡°Phew! That wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± I said.


    Now the real problem was getting to leave the manor unnoticed.

 Chapter FIFTY- SIX: A NIGHT OUT IN THE WOODS

    Harder and harder it gets.


    The difficulty in getting past the room became a thing of the past after I found the hair pin. But getting past the guards at the main door was something I still haven¡¯t figured out, but I still needed to try.


    I had to think fast because staying another night at the manor would mean that I would have to looking at Ryan¡¯s lying face again. I might not be able to hold myself from spilling. His shits has gotten way up to a height that I might not be able to put up with. I knew it would be best I stayed away from him until I could find a way out.


    So I waited until it was dinner time before leaving the room. But before that, I made sure the guards wouldn¡¯t find out I was out of the room just yet; buying me some time. With the duvet, I covered the pillows in a position they would think that I stillid there sleeping and then, then I locked the door from outside. One of thedies in the maids uniform, walked down from ahead through the hallway. I was already too close to flee or hide behind the doors. I only maintained a poise like every freeborn would do, hoping she had no idea to what was going on. We walked past each other without saying a word. But then, I turned.


    ¡°Hello, excuse me,¡± and she turned as well.


    ¡°Good day ma¡¯am, how can I help you?¡± She responded with her heads down.


    ¡°I was wondering if you knew where Madam Ana kept the bottles of the tranquilizer. Don¡¯t worry, It¡¯s for one of the castles. It had this injury in one of its limbs, its in so much pain. Thought I would put it to sleep for a little while. I heard the tranquilizer helps.¡±


    ¡°Yeah they really do help with situations like that but I don¡¯t know where it is kept.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s a bit disappointing. I really hoped to put that cattle to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Although, words have been heard that it is kept in a box in the store room. But you should confirm from Madam Ana which box it is in particr since there are so many boxes there. If it is about a cattle, then she would pay keen attention. She doesn¡¯t really joke with the livestock.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right? I will surely tell her about it right away. Thank you,¡± I said.


    She bowed and walked past me. I didn¡¯t exactly know where this store room was located but being a ve before, I had gone through a lot of rooms that looked like a ce for storage. So I headed down the hallway to these locations avoiding getting to meet any guard. The doors stood like a puzzle and I didn¡¯t know which to invest the little time left in. I could have sworn it was the one by right but it looked like it had never been opened before as cobwebs and dusts covered every part of it.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s this one,¡± I settled for the door opposite to it and inserted the pin through the key hole. After a few twists, it opened.


    ¡°I¡¯m really getting good at this,¡± I chuckled and rushed into it. There were shelves all around with boxes and cartons. It sure looked like a store room. I began my search for the substance. The room had only a small window, but the lights had gone down so I had to walk slowly going through all the boxes with my hands searching through it. The first three boxes held only artefacts and I threw it off still searching.


    ¡°Fuck! I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I stopped for a while and Iscanned the room again. Lights from outside seeped I through the small window and so I saw dimly.


    ¡°Where would this be?¡±


    I walked quickly towards a brown box underneath the shelf and slid the lid open to find the bottles of the tranquiller perfectly arranged.


    ¡°Bingo!¡±


    I took a bottle and then two more and I dashed out of the room. There was just a stop left to make. I needed to get to the kitchen just in time before the meals were served. As I got there, the food alreadyid on the dishes and I walked in. I stood around watching as the chef and maids worked and just when everywhere seemed clear enough, I emptied the tranquilizers in every food I found open.


    Initially, I had only wanted to target the dishes specifically for the guards but at that moment, I couldn¡¯t risk getting caught or missing the dish. So it was time to wait. And so I waited. When Ryan had injected the tranquilizer in my body, it didn¡¯t take too long until its effect kicked in strong. So I just had to wait a bit longer and then set towards the main door to find the guards all lying fast asleep like I had predicted. Watching how helpless they were only gave me am insight of how I had been all through my stay at the manor. I didn¡¯t know how much effect the tranquilizer in their food wouldst for and so I knew that I needed to hasten up.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Without making a sound, I yanked the bunch of keys from the chief guards waist. Gently opened the door as I ran off towards the woods. I didn¡¯t stop to look back if anyone could be watching, maybe someone who had missed dinner. I just ran as fast as I could. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell what part of the woods the well was located. Everywhere all looked the same as I ran ahead. And then I stopped to catch my breath turning around to make sure that I wasn¡¯t followed.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out in a low voice as I got to the well. I looked over my shoulders and ahead but he wasn¡¯t there.


    Could he had lied? What if he had alerted Ryan about where I was?


    ¡°Oh God this is bad, this is bad,¡± my pacing increased as well as the sweat in my forehead.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I turned sharply.


    ¡°Kieran, oh God thank God I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°I am a man of my words. You sounded troubled over the phone. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ryan. I would tell you all about it but first I need to know that I can trust you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you called me and here I am. What about Ryan?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really talk about it here but all I can say is that he is up to no good.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Look, you have to help get out of this woods. This would be the first ce he would check if he don¡¯t find me back home.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand any of this.¡±


    ¡°Look, I would exin to you once we get to a safe ce. Please help me. I don¡¯t trust anyone back there. Something strange is going on in there and I can¡¯t stay there anymore.¡±


    ¡°Look ra, as much as I want to help you, you should know that everythinges with a price.¡±


    ¡°A price. I kind of know that already.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±I am willing to pay. I understand that. What do you want in exchange for helping me?


    ¡°You know what I want ra,¡± he moved closer, tweaking my hair, ¡°I want you.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I agree. Now let¡¯s go we don¡¯t have much timegrabbed my arms as he pulled me away towards the opposite direction from where I hade from. I just couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how furious Ryan would be when he finds out that was I was missing. The pain that would be in his eyes as he would have the slightest idea where I would be. This was just the beginning of another adventure. I could feel it.

 Chapter FIFTY- SEVEN: KIERAN’S PALACE: THE NEW CONTRACT

    With my hands still in Kieran¡¯s grip, we navigated through the forest even in the dim lights. It was obvious the paths were familiar to Kieran as he moved swiftly pulling me along.


    ¡°Hey slow down,¡± I held back gasping for breath, ¡°Are we not there yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°When are we going to get there? I can¡¯t keep up anymore.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get to safety or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want to, but I just need to catch my breath first? Why didn¡¯t youe with a car, perhaps a carriage or something?¡±


    ¡°Carriage? I mean who still uses those?¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°Well, you Alphas like to live a kind of weird lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°I am the Lycan King and transporting with carriages isn¡¯t weird it¡¯s just stupidity.¡±


    ¡°Stupidity? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too much? I mean it¡¯s not really a bad means of transportation. It is just a bit off for this century.¡±


    ¡°I mean I never said it was. But why would you use those when you can afford a life of luxury?¡± He asked as we got in front of a big wall. The biggest I had ever seen.


    ¡°We are here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where?¡± I looked around just to be sure.


    ¡°Open the gate!¡± He announced as we turned to face a big gate. And just as he had ordered, the gate creaked open.


    ¡°Wee to my Pce,¡± he said ushering me in.


    ¡°Wow!¡± I stared at the building. It wasn¡¯t just one huge building standing in the middle of a hugend like Ryan¡¯s manor. This was different, like amunity of its own with buildings scattered all around. There were guards and maids, these alphas always like to have their maids around doing their chores. But the different was luxury, Kieran¡¯s taste stood high. Like they were crafted by the finest architects and engineers that were in the modern world.


    ¡°You like?¡±


    ¡°This is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    I walked behind him as we got into one of the buildings. As I moved around, I found men in uniforms training with swords and spear. Unlike Ryan¡¯s manor that was filled with men and women dressed up in sack and looked malnourished, this looked more hopeful. Perhaps instead of being a ve, I could be a warrior and learn to fight like the men I just passed by. I would be able to defend myself from Ryan and the rest of the cruel world.


    ¡°Come in here,¡± he said and I walked into the room. A very spaced out living room and exquisitely decorated with the finest ornament and ss materials.


    ¡°You have taste for exquisite things. Pretty impressive.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Have a seat. Now we go straight to business.¡±


    ¡°Business?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes but first, would you like tea? Or coffee perhaps.


    ¡°Water would just do fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he pped as two maids hurried in.


    ¡°Get fresh water for my guest and then prepare a room at the other block.¡±


    ¡°You said lets get back to business, what¡¯s the business about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯d get to find that out soon. Don¡¯t be in a hurry, we have plenty of time.¡±


    I nodded and soon, the water arrived.


    Kieran walked up to were I sat and dropped a file on top of the table just in front of me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Open it.¡±


    And so I did open it.


    ¡°A contract?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I need you to sign it.¡±


    ¡°What is this contract about?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I would just let you stay here without a form of agreement right?¡±


    ¡°But you said you wanted me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. That¡¯s why I need you to sign it. Just in case you decided to y smart and run off on me like you did your former master. This would be proof that I own you.¡±


    ¡°I never said that I was running off.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you told Ryan the same thing. Where are you now? His chambers or mine?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Ryan is not who I thought he was. I had to run for my safety.


    ¡°Do me a favour and save me the details. Look, you have all day and night to read through it.¡±


    ¡°You sound like I do have a choice.¡±


    ¡°Just take your time and go through it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that there would be any need for that. Just give me a pen let me get this done with.¡±


    ¡°Smart girl,¡± he walked over handing me a pen. As he just stood there staring.


    ¡°What? I asked after his stare began to look like something creepy.


    ¡°You look so much like her.¡±


    ¡°Like who?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± he dropped the pen and walked back.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay, suit yourself.¡±


    I faced the file containing the contract and signed the spots in the file that needed my signature and then I walked over handing it to him.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said.


    As he retrieved the book from me, he just froze again but I looked away towards the wallpaper that was pressed on the wall.


    ¡°You have her chin,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t tell me who I suddenly look like then I would appreciate it if you stopped talking about this resemnce shit it is beginning to freak me out.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. Its just that¡­ Never mind.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I hope we now have an understanding?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Now can you please go through the contract and see what I have signed.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said as he took nces at the pages.


    ¡°Now, that is settled,¡± he pped his hand again and a maid came over, ¡°take her to the room that you prepared,¡± he turned towards me, ¡°go with her, she would show you your room. You should eat and have your rest. Once again wee to my pce, I hope you like it here. And may I remind me you that you have just signed a contract and so, don¡¯t try anything funny. I will see youter.¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°He is such a kind man,¡± the maid said as soon as we set out to the other block.


    ¡°Kind man? He is ruthless and arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Well, I meanpared to who I have worked with,¡± the maid said.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Perhaps we weren¡¯t much different.


    ¡°Your room is just by the end of the hallway. You would like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you have any questions to ask me?¡± The maid asked again.


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°Your face, it looks like you are bothered by something.¡±


    ¡°Well I just signed a contract. Selling my freedom to a man I barely know.¡±


    She sighs, ¡°I know it can be hard.¡±


    ¡°Does he always do this?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Want someone and just get them to sign contracts?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°So how did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I was sold by my family. I guess they couldn¡¯t fend for an extra child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡±


    ¡°I am used to it and I am happy being here. He might not be the nicest person but he is kind enough to let us eat.¡±


    ¡°Well, you work for him giving you food is the least of his responsibilities. This just feels crazy the more I think of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll get used to it. It takes time but everything would be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it.¡±


    She walked ahead and unlocked the door ushering me in.


    ¡°Here you go. It¡¯s nice isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it is. Better than my old room.¡±


    ¡°Well get settled in. It is going to be a long day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to think about that right now.¡±


    ¡°Well if you need anything, you can just call me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get your name.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Donna.¡±


    ¡°Donna, I think I would need your assistance a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°My hair is a bit tangled up. I have been having a rough week. Haven¡¯t really gotten the chance to brush through it. I can¡¯t imagine doing that right now all by myself. I was wondering if you would help me with it.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I am happy to help. Have a seat, let me get that straightened out for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I settled on the chair facing the mirror. Indeed, it had really been a rough week.


    ¡°So are you my proxy or what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I am. I was just assigned to give you the assistance that you need.¡±


    ¡°So how long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°A couple of years, roughly three years now. But it has been a great experience.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I have been meaning to ask this. I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Come on, you are free to ask whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I was just wondering if you knew why Kieran keeps saying that I look like someone. Do you know who he keeps referring to?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who is this person and what happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much but I think he is referring to his old lover. Her name was Kimberly.¡±


    ¡°Kimberly,¡± the name sounded very much familiar.


    ¡°Yes, they were to be mated.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I look like her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never got a chance to see her.¡±

 Chapter FIFTY- EIGHT: WHAT A LIFE?

    I hurried towards the door as I heard the knock.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong ra? I got your message, you sounded distressed,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°Yeah, I am distressed.¡±


    ¡°What is it ra?¡±


    ¡°I have been here for three days and I haven¡¯t even had a change of clothes. I haven¡¯t left this room. Where the heck is Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I am sorry for the distress. Its my fault I could havee sooner to check up on you.¡±


    ¡°Its not your fault. I mean you didn¡¯t bring me here. This is all my fault? I caused this to myself. I should have just stayed back. At least Ryan took care of me.¡±


    ¡°Was he your lover?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°This Ryan you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°No, it isplicated. I really don¡¯t want to talk about that. I just feel abandoned at the moment. Its like he just brought me here to die. Maybe I should join you in your quarters.¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t bring you here as a maid.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because he made the announcement.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are not a maid here.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I to do? I need to get out of this dress and I don¡¯t have anything to put on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I have dresses, I can lend you some.¡±


    ¡°And then what next? You keep lending me clothes? I can¡¯t live like that. I want to work at least, I want to be productive. Get my hands busy perhaps I can get to forget about all of this.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine. Why not I bring in the dress so you can change up? I would be harvesting tomatoes from my little farm but I would be back to give you the dress.¡±


    ¡°You have a farm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just outside the pce.¡±


    ¡°Then I shoulde with you. I want toe with you.¡±


    ¡°No, you are not supposed to. The Lycan king will not be happy with that.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t care about me. Can¡¯t you see? Please, let mee with you. I can harvest tomatoes, I would help you.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I would let youe but you aren¡¯t touching the soil.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get there. Anything to leave this ce for a second.¡±


    I felt alive again walking on the streets, indeed, this felt nothing like being back at the manor. For once, it felt as though I had finally made a right choice and hope resurfaced again. I didn¡¯t know how long this wouldst but I basked in the moment savouring on every wind that graced my skin and every view I watched.


    ¡°You seem very happy being out here.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea. Do you know how long I have been indoors for?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am d you are happy but we need to hurry. I don¡¯t know how Kieran would feel if he sees you out of the building but I know that he would be furious if he sees you outside the gate. It is kind of forbidden here.¡±


    ¡°So how did we get past?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my little secret.¡±


    ¡°Come on. You can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Well the chief guard at the gate, we are kind of a thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. It is really going well for you here.¡±


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t know you are with me. He would freak out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope he doesn¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be him we should be worried about.¡±


    ¡°We are here,¡± she announced, ¡°My babies all red and ready to be harvested.¡±


    ¡°So how does this work?¡±


    ¡°Harvesting?¡±


    ¡°No, I know how to harvest tomatoes. I mean selling them. How do you get to sell them in town if you are not allowed to stay out for long?¡±


    ¡°Who says I sell them in town?¡± She chuckled, ¡°Okay this is how it works. I harvest them and take them back to the pce.¡±


    ¡°If you take them back to the pce then how do you then make profits?¡±


    ¡°I just give to the person in charge of handling foodstuffs in the pce and gets paid for it. Its a win for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah good business but do you think that Kieran would be okay if he finds out about this?¡±


    ¡°Well, he is not going to be okay if he finds up here would he? Well I don¡¯t know and I really don¡¯t want to find out so its just best if he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So then let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t touching the soil.¡±


    ¡°Stop me if you can,¡± I said as I began harvesting the tomatoes.


    ¡°You are one hell of a stubborn being,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Tell me about it. Come on let me help so we would be fast and be out of here before you know it. I didn¡¯t know much about farm works until I was taken in as a ve and made to work alone in a farm. You know the first day, I sustained an injury in my right hand on my first very attempt. You can imagine the amount of discouragement I had from that injury.¡±


    ¡°I know right. My mother had a huge farm back at home and I loved the farm. It used to be beautiful. How little seeds would beget red fleshy fruits like this in a couple of months. It was wondrous. So everyday, I would be up and ready to go to the farm even before she was. It always felt like an adventure.¡±


    I settled on a rock after filling the first basket with tomatoes.


    ¡°¡­ but one day,¡± she continued, ¡°there was a storm, I didn¡¯t think it was that bad, so I matched down to the farm like every other day and it was gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, turned out the wind had blown out everything. We managed to gather a basket or two but that was not even up to a handful of what we would have harvested that year. My mother never recovered.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a really long time ago. Doing this really reminds me of her. Alright, we are done and ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we carrying the baskets with us?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, we can¡¯t possibly carry the whole ten baskets now. Don¡¯t worry Lucas would bring the carriages and take it back to the pce.¡±


    ¡°I guess Lucas is the boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°You got that right. We have to go back now. I have to take you somewhere.¡±


    We headed back to the pce just the way that we hade.


    ¡°So where is this ce we are going to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the mini market.¡±


    ¡°There is a market here in the pce?¡±


    ¡°Not quiet but we are going to get you a dress.¡±


    ¡°Finally, I would get a new dress,¡± I twirled and danced on the path.


    There were dresses scattered around by the time we got to the spot.


    ¡°Magdalene! I am here¡± Donna called out and a much olderdy appeared from a small cottage.


    ¡°Oh Donna, I knew it would be you. And who is your friend?¡±


    ¡°Her name is ra and we need a dress for her.¡±


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s good to see you ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Magdalene and you are wee to the pce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Magdalene is the only one allowed to go into town to run pce errands and so she gets stuff for us. We juste here and get whatever we need.¡±


    ¡°Like free?¡±


    ¡°No, we pay her just for what we get. And they are just the same price with that in town. She just makes everything easy for us.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°So what dresses are you getting?¡±


    ¡°I just need something simple.¡±


    ¡°This should fit,¡± Magdalene pulled out a red dress and handed it to me.


    ¡°It is beautiful. I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said.


    A man wearing the guards uniform walked up to us. At first I thought it was the guy Donna talked about. But then, he just stood there with a straight face like the guards back at the manor.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Good day, are youdy ra?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Okay, this is for you,¡± he handed me a parcel.


    ¡°Oh okay, thank you.¡±


    I opened the parcel and there was a small note inside.


    You have been summoned to the King¡¯s chambers by 5:pm. Don¡¯t bete.


    ¡°Are you okay? What does the note say?¡±


    ¡°Its an invitation to see the king.¡±


    ¡°Oh then we have to get you a different dress,¡± Magdalene said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that serious.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it is.¡±

 Chapter FIFTY- NINE: JUST LIKE THE MATE

    I didn¡¯t know how much of a big deal this was but Magdaleneand Donna didn¡¯t seem to take the news as I did. Even if I had been invited to his chambers, I still didn¡¯t feel like it was a big deal. I had been to Ryan¡¯s chamber all the time and it became a normal thing.


    ¡°This is not Ryan. This is Kieran. The Lycan king. He neverjust invites anyone to his chambers. Perhaps he has ns,¡± Donna said.


    Magdalene had invited us in and closed the mini mart just so Icould have enough time to prepare for this meeting.


    ¡°I still feel that all of this is not necessary. I just needed a change of dress and that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You need more than a nice dress to see Kieran. You need to look your best. You never know what his ns could be.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing special about this. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are sorry, we can¡¯t,¡± they chuckled as they kept on with the arrangements. Donna already began with my hair. While Magdalene patched up a dress she thought would be nice.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she handed me the dress.


    ¡°Come on, try it on. Let¡¯s see if it needs a little more adjustment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, lets give this a try. If it¡¯s not to my taste, I¡¯ll get to wear what I want.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine. Just try it out.¡±


    I stood in front of the mirror and watched myself as soon as I put it on. Magdalene had done a perfect job, she really did have eyes for beautiful things. It was short, with a sweetheart neckline that marked out my curves nicely. I didn¡¯t even notice I had that until now. The goldence design on the cleavage of the dressadded a touch of elegance.


    Just perfect.


    Donna walked over and adjusted the drawstring at the waist and it fit better. The dress hugged my hips and had a slit that showed off my legs as I mimicked a walk. I just couldn¡¯t stop staring. I had missed dressing up for something or someone. Getting to look my best for a party. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes even if I tried to hold them in it just fell freely down my cheek.


    ¡°Why are you crying? You don¡¯t like the dress?¡± Magdalene asked.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you crying? Are you hurt.¡±


    ¡°I just miss this. Having to look this nice. It¡¯s been hell ever since I left home. Haven¡¯t even gotten time to look after myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are here for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now, lets work on that face. You can¡¯t go there looking like someone just died.¡±


    ¡°I still feel we are doing too much.¡±


    ¡°Do you like the way you look ra?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°Then enjoy the moment. Just bask in it. Whatever happens after this, you know that you have had the makeover you have solely missed.¡±


    I nodded in response without saying anything.


    After fixing my makeup and brushing my hair, I couldn¡¯t recognize the woman I had be. Lost in so much pain that I have actually forgotten how beautiful and gorgeous I once were. I still remember how Raymond used to praise me. He worshipped the ground I stepped on. Now all I had were enemies and people who just wanted to own me.


    ¡°Thank you so much Magdalene. Really, this means so much to me.¡±


    ¡°You are wee darling. Go have some good time. He wouldn¡¯t resist you. Bring only the best news back.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we have to get going now.¡±


    Donna and I walked back to the building. Walking back felt different. I didn¡¯t know if it was the dress or the concealer that hid away the scars on my face. But there was this boldness that just sprung up from the moment that I walked out of the mini mart.


    ¡°This is where I would have to stop you ra, you go to his chambers from here now. You look absolutely gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I would get to you as soon as I am done with this meeting.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that would be nice.¡±


    ¡°I have to go now,¡± I said as we patted ways. I wasn¡¯t really familiar with Kieran¡¯s chamber but I just walked on letting my instinct lead until I got to a door. And then I knocked.


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± I said with a smile as soon as he unlocked the door letting me in but he did not respond.


    ¡°ra?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you sent for me,¡± I still had my smile.


    He said nothing at first only looking around me.


    ¡°What is this?¡± He asked. The smiles on my lips suddenly evaporated. My brows already knitted as confusion set in. I didn¡¯t exactly know what I had done wrong or maybe doing wrong.


    ¡°What is what?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days and now you look even worse than you previously looked.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Do you know how long it took me to dress this way?¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps you shouldn¡¯t have bothered. You should have let my stylist work on you.¡±


    ¡°Where were you all these days? I stayed in that room for days with even a change of clothe. I had no ce to go. Besides what is wrong with the dress?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the dress. It¡¯s everything. The way you look, the way you smell. Your hair is supposed to smell like purevender. That¡¯s how she smells.¡±


    ¡°Who? Your mate? Kimberly right?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that name?¡±


    ¡°You know the first day you saw me in that meeting. When you walked up to me you called me a name. Kimberly  that¡¯s what you said. At first I thought it was just some way of getting to talk to me but then I had the dots connected. That was why you said that you wanted me right? So maybe you could make me look like her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point here. All I am saying is that you look trashy and below standards and I cannot have a meeting with you looking like this.¡±


    ¡°Well I am sorry I have no better clothes. I have  no money norvender oil.¡±


    Kieran pped his hand and a guard ran in.


    ¡°Call me the stylist,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Just so you know, I am not Kimberly. I am ra. And I have my style.¡±


    ¡°Well your style is ssless. The sight of you irritates me, I can¡¯t even look at you right now. Just seat over there and don¡¯t speak until the stylist arrives.¡±


    As we awaited the stylist, Kieran said nothing. Neither did he look at me. Deep down I felt thest bit of pride I had left crushing. No man had ever tagged me ssless. I just wanted to walk away and never look back. But I just sat there wondering how much of a beast he saw me as.


    ¡°Sire, the stylist is here.¡±


    ¡°Bring her in.¡±


    The stylist, a middle aged woman walked in holding a bag.


    ¡°Mrs Catherine, meet ra over there,¡± he pointed to me, ¡°fix her.¡±


    Fix her? He just couldn¡¯t use a better word. Kieran always like to be possessive. He always like to show everyone that he owned me. And as much as I wanted to disagree with this, I knew that after I signed that contract I signed most of my freewill to him. I led the stylist to my room and she began  what she had been called for.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question ma¡¯am,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, sure,¡± she had always had this smile on since she walked in perhaps it came with the job of a being a stylist.


    ¡°Is it a bad dress?¡±


    ¡°Not at all darling.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°And the make up?¡±


    ¡°You look just beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± It sounded almost like I couldn¡¯t believe her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kieran right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean he put those thoughts in your head. I know it could be wrong of me saying this but you don¡¯t have to listen to everything he says. He can¡¯t actually make you look like someone else. No one can and no one should.¡±


    ¡°Look like someone else? Is this what this is about?¡±


    ¡°Lets get started.¡±


    ¡°Come on talk to me.¡±


    ¡°I have spilled too much on this, Kieran would not like it at all.¡±


    After those words, she said nothing again as she just kept on with the hair. She would stop for a second and look through a paper before she would continue. I watched her for a while without saying anything. She just kept on looking at it and whenever she turned towards the mirror, I would just look away like I had not been looking ever since.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Huh, what?¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°You seem to be looking through something. I was wondering what it was.¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing,¡± she smiled, ¡°Have a look,¡± she handed me a mirror as I looked at my new look. It was nothing close to how I liked to look. First my hair was high up in a bun with a red lipstick drawn across my lips. I didn¡¯t know how I would have to walk around looking like thedies from the regency era but in this case, everything was just a bit too extreme.


    ¡°I¡­ uhmmm.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like the way you look?¡±


    ¡°I just feel that the lipstick is a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°No, its just perfect. Look, this is just how much he likes it. Trust me you would be happy about this. You know being beautiful you need to make a little sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t expect that from a stylist.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you would understand soon. Oh I think I left thevender oil. I will be right back let me go and get it. Please seat tight so you dint get to ruin the make up.¡±


    She patted my back and walked out of the room. As soon as she was gone, I left the seat and headed for the purse. The same one she had sneaked the piece of paper in. Just a few depths down, it wasn¡¯t just a piece of note as I had thought. It was a photo of ady, her hair was up in an arranged bun just the way Mrs Catherine had made mine and her lips just as reddish as she had painted mine. And I knew just then that I was right.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡±

 Chapter SIXTY: THE DISDAIN

    It was Kimberly or so I thought. And whatever Mrs Catherine was doing, was really a good work because she had turned me to look exactly like her. Now, I was to be someone else. I had to be someone else or else I wouldn¡¯t be wanted. This was a different kind of torture. It was terrifying and freaked me out. All the same, I wanted to know why Kieran wanted this. I needed answers. If I am to y a role of someone then at least I needed to know my end.


    I stumped out of the building as I walked out towards Kieran¡¯s chamber. Thest time I had badged into Ryan¡¯s chamber, it didn¡¯t end so well. But I needed to see him, to speak to him. I wanted to know exactly why he wanted me. If I was to be his puppet or something even worse.


    I breathed forcefully as I stood in front of the door. I had chosen to act differently this time. All I wanted was just to talk. Kieran opened the door after the first knock and ushered me in. Unlike the first time I hade, he just stared lustfully at me which made me lose all that I wanted to say. His eyes on me only made me shy and the words evaporated. I didn¡¯t know how to tell him I was still ra, to see the look on his face when I would m those words at him.


    ¡°Why do you stare like that?¡±


    ¡°Because you are beautiful,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Oh so now, I am beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see now that you look like a royal?¡±


    ¡°Or your mate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mate ra. At least not yet.¡±


    ¡°And so who is thisdy that you are trying to turn me to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that this is just a plot to turn me into your mate? What happened to her? Did she die? Or did she leave you? Did she look you in the face and tell you that she was done being with an arrogant and prideful person like you?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up! ra. You speak rubbish!¡±


    ¡°Oh, at least you know that my name is still ra,¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to me like that?¡±


    ¡°How dare you try to change me to someone else? What am I even doing here? You don¡¯t let me do anything. I just sit in that room all day. It feels like I should be living the good life because I have been chosen by the Lycan king to live in his Pce. I have a good room and a stylist, what else can ady want but truth is I am leaving in hell!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing in my chambers ra.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked, you summoned me.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t need you anymore. You can fucking leave now.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kieran looked up at me sharply. I saw the shock in his eyes.


    ¡°What? No one has ever disobeyed you? Well let me be the first because I am not stepping my feet out of here until you tell me what all this is all about! Who is thisdy that you want to make me look just like? Who is she? Talk to me!¡±


    ¡°That is none of your business. Let me tell you something ra,¡± he moved closer, ¡°you are no different from the ves here. May I remind you that I own you, so you will do as I have told you. I would do to you as I please and you will not do anything about it. I am going to make life miserable for you if you think that you are smart.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Well bring it on Lycan King. I have seen and dealt with your type. I am not afraid of you. Let me see what you can do.¡±


    ¡°Now, get out,¡± he said.


    I said nothing only walking out of his chambers as fast as my legs could carry me. Tears gathered by the edges of my eyes. Ilooked ahead avoiding the gazes of anyone. Mrs Catherine was seated by the time I walked into my room.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you when I came back. Where did you go to. Oh girl you¡¯ve ruined the make up. But don¡¯t worry I can patch it up.¡±


    ¡°Please leave,¡± I said looking away.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said leave.¡±


    ¡°But I am not done with the¡­¡±


    ¡°I said leave! I want to go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she gathered her things and walked out of the room as I closed the door and locked it. I took up the piece of rag and began wiping off the lipstick and make up off my face. But Kieran¡¯s words kept ringing in my ears. I still heard his voice loud and clear and the most painful thing was that he was actually right. He owned me now. This was all Ryan¡¯s fault. If only he wasn¡¯t selfish, perhaps I would have gotten my freedom by now. And I wouldn¡¯t be in the mercy of a very ruthless king.


    My hands began to tremble as I watched myself. What I have be in just a few days that I was there. All I wanted was to be happy. I had never been thrown in the state of confusion that I now had in me. At least with Ryan, I knew that I was the sacrificialmb but with Kieran everything was just all over the ce. He didn¡¯t let me work but yet I wasn¡¯t any different from the ves.


    Tears fell down my cheeks dragging the concealer down revealing my skin. I threw the pins and clips off my hair allowing my hair to fall on my neck again just the way that I have always liked to keep them. The thought that I wasn¡¯t needed, instead ady that I didn¡¯t even wasn¡¯t sure was still alive was much more appreciated than I was. It gripped my chest.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I threw the brush. I could not hold down the tears. I just curled up on the bed with the duvet over my head and cried myself to sleep.


    The next morning began with a knock on the door. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight as I left the bed and strolled towards it all tired from having to stay upte consoling myself from having a bad day. And just before I got close, the knock came again.


    ¡°I aming. Who is it anyway?¡± I muttered.


    By the time I opened the door, the person was gone but there was a box and a note just waiting by the door step. I looked around to see if I could see who had dropped it but there was no one even by the hallway.


    ¡°Yeah, you just couldn¡¯t wait a little longer,¡± my voice echoed through the hallway before I picked up the box and the note mming the door.


    I¡¯ll be having a very important guest for breakfast today. I need you by my side. In the box, there is a dress. In a few minutes, the stylist will being in to make you look spotless. A maid would cone to you in an hour to escort you to the dinning room. Don¡¯t bete.


    I tossed the note aside and crashed to the bed.


    ¡°Fuck! And I have to face him again.¡±

 Chapter SIXTY- ONE: BREAKFAST WITH KIERAN

    A few minutes just after I went through the note, I heard a knock again. ording to the note, the stylist woulde first before the maid and so I opened the door to see Mrs Catherine smiling back at me.


    ¡°Good morning Mrs Catherine,¡± I said first.


    ¡°Wow, someone seems to be in a good mood today. I guess no need asking how your night went then.¡±


    ¡°I had a crazy night but its good to start a new day with a good mood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡±


    ¡°So what next? Lets get this Kimberly¡¯s look up again,¡± I said.


    I heard her warm breath resting on my scalp as she exhaled.


    ¡°Look ra,¡± she began softly now, ¡°we really do not have to make you look like someone else. I would go with whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mrs Catherine, I am fine with whatever Kieran wants.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Look, I don¡¯t mind getting punished for it, really.¡±


    ¡°I am sure. And I am sorry aboutst night. I shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh to you. Was just having a really rough night.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It is usually hard on the first weeks but it gets better when you get used to the pce and your new life. But all the same, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Just tone the lipstick down a bit.¡±


    She nodded and smiled as she began fixing my hair again. Even though I still didn¡¯t like the way I looked, I still felt like I actually owned myself this time. I mean if Kieran could term a in silk white dress ssy then I knew that I hadn¡¯t lost my ss just yet.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± she said as soon as she was done.


    ¡°Yeah, Kimberly is pretty.¡± I jokedughing and she joined me and then I heard another knock again.


    ¡°That must be the maid that would escort me to the dinning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay my work is done I need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Mrs Catherine,¡± I called out to her and walked closer to her.


    ¡°What happened to Kimberly and why does Kieran want me to look just like her?¡±


    ¡°There is a limit to what I can tell you ra.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Look ra, the less you know the better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand all this shits. I am being dragged into something that no one wants to tell me about. All I need is an information to hold on to.¡±


    ¡°I understand ra.¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t. Do you know how it feels to wake up every morning knowing that you are going to stay all day looking like someone that you don¡¯t have an idea about?¡±


    ¡°This is all my fault.¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let you see that picture.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? This is so unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I have to leave ra. I am sorry.¡±


    She unlocked the door and walked out and Donna walked in.


    ¡°When I read through that note and saw that a maid would being. I hoped so much that it would be you.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? I heard voices,¡± Donna said.


    I walked up to her and buried myself in her arms.


    ¡°I am not okay.¡±


    ¡°Its fine. You look beautiful. Don¡¯t cry so you wouldn¡¯t ruin your make up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying. Just a bit emotional.¡±


    ¡°Okay take your time. But know that Kieran is waiting.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah right, the tyrant,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Shh¡­ don¡¯t let them hear you,¡± she whispered chuckling, ¡°But we¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ¡°The note said they¡¯ll be a guest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Theophilus, Kieran¡¯s business partner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so what am I supposed to be? His pretend mate?¡±


    ¡°Just be you. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Donna walked me to the dinning room and Kieran and Theophilus passed as soon as they saw me. Kieran stood up from his chair with a smile across his lips and walked to me.


    ¡°Good morning beautiful,¡± he smiled but I did not smile back.


    ¡°Smile, you look off,¡± he whispered and pulled me close.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°What am I supposed to be? your bride?¡±


    He ignored me.


    I forced a smile and walked to the dining table.


    ¡°Hey ra right?¡± The guy asked, he had a bright smile and good-looking too. He took my hands and kissed it. While Kieran pulled a seat out for me and I settled in.


    ¡°Thank you. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I am Theo, Theophilus. It¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡±


    I still held my lips in a smile and stared at the food. Then, I use the fork to take out the peanut butter but it still nauseated me.


    ¡°What is it ra, you don¡¯t like the meal?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m allergic to peanut butter.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why Kieran would not know about that.¡±


    ¡°I mean I am supposed to be like your¡­¡±


    ¡°The chef would make you something else,¡± he cut me off.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t just feel like eating.¡±


    I noticed the smile dry up from Kieran and just then I knew just what I needed to do. If I was to be deprived of joy then we would have to do it together.


    ¡°Alright. So what¡¯s the next n? The event?¡± He asked Kieran.


    ¡°Yes, that should create publicity. It should be big and ssy. Just nobles. Strictly by invitation. What do you think about that?¡±


    ¡°Well I think that you should let an event nner do their work,¡± I responded sipping from a cup.


    ¡± I wasn¡¯t speaking to you.¡±


    ¡°Why? But I am here and you invited me for breakfast. Oh wait, you don¡¯t speak to ves?¡±


    ¡°Kieran what is she talking about?¡±


    ¡°No Theo that¡¯s the wrong question that you should ask him. Maybe you should ask him¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing Theo,¡± Kieran cut me off.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I have a meeting at the office. We would speakter Kieran. Bye ra,¡± he left the table and walked out.


    ¡°I think I should leave too,¡± I stood up.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he said without looking up.


    ¡°But breakfast is over.¡±


    ¡°I said sit down!¡±


    I let myself again on the seat and Kieran looked at me. His eyes already glowing in anger but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡±


    ¡°What was what all about? Last I checked we were having breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who that guy is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I see, that¡¯s why you speak out of turn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know I should wait for my turn before I speak at a table I was invited to. If you didn¡¯t want me to speak, then you wouldn¡¯t have invited me. In case of course you brought me here for something else. Something I¡¯m still trying so hard to figure out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to just say stuff you could ruin things for me.¡±


    ¡°Well ruining things for you would not be so bad.¡±


    ¡°ra, you are overstepping boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Oh, am I?¡±


    I took the knife and the toast spreading the peanut butter all over it and then I took a huge bite.


    ¡°Wait but you said¡­¡±


    ¡°I said what? I¡¯m allergic right,¡± my words were muffled.


    ¡°You lied, you crazy bitch.¡±


    Then I dropped the toast on the te and gulped down the ss of water wiping my lips with the napkin as I left the chair.


    ¡°I guess we are done with this meeting. You want to treat me like shit right? Well guess what? I will not allow you or anyone treat me like shit. You want my bitchy side, I¡¯ll give you just what you asked for. Have a lovely day Kieran,¡± I walked outughing hysterically. He watched in awe.

 Chapter SIXTY- TWO: CLARA ONCE AGAIN

    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I just came to talk to you. More like spend some time with you. I mean if we are going for this event together then I need to get to know more about you. Would you not tell me toe in?¡± I smiled and he let me through.


    ¡°So what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s any of your business but I am working on my speech.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can I help?¡±


    ¡°No. I was thinking by now you would have said exactly what you wanted and gone.¡±


    ¡°Since you never want to let me out and do stuff, I thought that I shoulde here myself.¡±


    ¡°But I am busy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, go on with whatever you were doing I will just sit here. Just act like I am not here.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He scoffed and began reading his speech out loud again.


    ¡°Can I say something?¡± I said just after he was done saying it for the second time.


    ¡°What is it ra?¡±


    ¡°Your speech.¡±


    ¡°And what about it?¡±


    ¡°It sounds so much like you.¡±


    ¡°And what is wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Everything. It is washed up and deprived of everything that it actually stands for. Do you know how you sound? Well let me tell you, arrogant, pompous and so fucking annoying.¡±


    ¡°You said that you were going to be quiet and act like you weren¡¯t here. I guess you just can¡¯t keep your mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Who do you intend on delivering this washed up speech to? Some bunch of kids?¡±


    He walked up to me, ¡°I never asked for your opinion, ra.¡±


    ¡°I am only trying to help. So you don¡¯t go out there and end up showing everyone how much of a jerk you are.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°You think you are so tough now ra. I can have your head hanging over the pole the next minute if you keep pushing me to the edge. I know that you might feel that you are of great importance to me that is why you think that you can speak to me anyhow but don¡¯t get too excited. Everyone has a recement.¡±


    I watched him speak, if only he knew how I wanted to crush him. So he would never get to utter another word of his arrogance again. As I walked out into the hallway, the thought to just flee the pce and never turn back hovered in my head. But I had no ce to go. No ce to return to. I had no idea if my parents were still out there and where they would be. It had been years since Ist saw them and I still wasn¡¯t satisfied with the way that I lived.


    Ever since I left the manor, I haven¡¯t really thought about the blood moon and all that I had seen in Ryan¡¯s office. And sometimes, it still felt like a dream but whenever I saw Kieran, I knew that it had happened and still happening. Ryan could have gotten mad by now looking everywhere for me. I hope he doesn¡¯t see the note with Kieran¡¯s contact and connects the dots.


    For the first time since I arrived at the pce, I would be leaving the pce with Kieran. Wearing a fancy dress and looking like one of the nobles as Kieran¡¯s plus one. I didn¡¯t know why he wanted to portray me as that but every time I thought about it, it felt good. To be chosen. But all the same, Kieran¡¯s ruthless behaviour was still spoken in town. I didn¡¯t want to be seen as one of his aplice but it didn¡¯t matter, everyone already thought so and it would be a lot worse after he delivered that speech. I wouldn¡¯t  be able to overlook the stares from underneath the knitted brows of the people. I already had so much enemies at the moment and adding more would only mean suicide.


    I exhaled forcefully as soon as I got close to the door. And then turned back again heading to his chambers but then just by the hallway, I sighted him handing a brown envelope to a man and as soon as he was out of sight, I followed behind him. He got into a room and I walked over to the window peeking through it. It was a printing room.


    ¡°He was going ahead with the speech after all.¡±


    At that moment, I sighted the man walking towards the door and I hid away. I only heard the door and footsteps towards the opposite direction. And then I hurried into the room and made some edits to the speech.


    ¡°What the hell have I done?¡± I muttered as I walked back to my room.


    ¡­


    Kieran took my hands as we got down from the car into the hall. The hall just as I had expected was filled up with people from far and wide, people of high status in the werewolf council. And they all looked up to us. And for once in a very long time, I felt important. And wanted by everyone as they took photos of us. Kieran smiled too and it all struck me when the announcement for his speech came. I hadn¡¯t done much of a change on it. Only changed his words that depicts arrogance into what was friendly.


    As Kieran stood there watching the paper thatid in front of him, my heart pounded for a second. He looked back at me and at that point, I knew just then that he knew what I had done. I smiled back at him and walked out of the hall leaving him to read out my words. It was either that or be seen as the Lycan King who could not deliver a speech and the Kieran I know would not trade his reputation for just a speech. This time, I had outdone myself. He deserved it.


    Before the speech, I had observed him and the people he mostly mingled with and as soon as he climbed up the podium, I made sure to speak with everyone of them. I could see Kieran¡¯s eyes on me several times. It was as though he should flee the steps ande hear what I said to them. But instead I would just smile and move to the next person.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you leaving just yet?¡± The driver asked as I walked over to the car.


    ¡°Yes, I have this bad headache and I really need to go and rest. I know your master asked you to wait so I would just take the cab instead,¡± I made to leave.


    ¡°Wait ma¡¯am, it is true that he asked me not to leave but you are in distress and I need to take you back. I would he right in time to take him back too.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s so thoughtful of you,¡± I chuckled.


    After a long tired nap, I was awoken by a knock on the door. I opened it to find two guards by the door.


    ¡°You have been summoned by the King.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±


    ¡°He wants you now.¡±


    ¡°I know, I said I will be there.¡±


    ¡°We are sorry but we have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    The guards held my arms and pulled me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡±


    But they said nothing as they kept on dragging me along. I tried to get my arms free but their grip were stronger as always until I got to Kieran¡¯s chambers. And then they threw me on the floor.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Kieran ordered and the guards left shutting the door.


    ¡°Really?! You had to send your guards to drag me here?¡±


    ¡°You have outdone yourself ra. You have just been a pain in my neck since you came.¡±


    ¡°This is just the beginning. I will not let you or anyone treat me any lesser.¡±


    ¡°Youined that you were being locked away and you did nothing right?¡±


    ¡°This is about the speech,¡± Iughed, ¡°Well that was just the tip of the icebergpared to what ising.¡±


    ¡°What ising huh? I know what is puffing your shoulders. This little freedom I give you, right? And you have developed wings. What if I clip them off?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how that goes.¡±


    ¡°Oh ra, so daring. From today henceforth you are a maid and do you know the best part? You would work directly for me. Wash my feet prepare my bath and do as much as I please.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, I already did. You aren¡¯t so tough now are you?¡±


    ¡°I used to wonder why I have never seen a woman around. The one you can call a mate, that¡¯ll make youugh and bring warmth to you. But now I know, no woman would ever want to be with a beast like you. No one wouldst in your arms.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?!¡± He roared and walked sharply towards meand grabbed my neck pulling me against the wall. At first, my breath slipped away. But I could still see his eyes. From a cold set of grey eyes to a much warmer pair and his grip on my neck lessened. And then, the unthinkable happened.

 Chapter SIXTY- THREE: THE AKWARDNESS BETWEEN US

    Why I hadn¡¯t pulled away from his lips was even much more mysterious than why he had kissed me in the first ce. I wouldn¡¯t say everything happened so fast because I had seen him move closer. I had every second to yell a stop at him or pull away from his hold but instead I just wanted to look into his eyes a bit longer. It¡¯s like they charmed me. I pulled away from him as soon as he let go of my neck.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡± he stuttered.


    I didn¡¯t know if I would understand whatever reason that he would have said nor wait any longer to hear his words. I backed away and walked out of his chambers. Nothing made sense, one minute we were in an argument were he just proimed me his personal maid. The next, his lips rested on mine and it was perfect.


    As Iid back on the bed the image of Kieran¡¯s eyes shed on my mind. Even when I tried to think of something else, the thought always somehow managed to get in my head again. The incident was on repeat. Reying in my mind every time I tried to close my eyes. I loved that he had kissed me and at the same time, it felt weird.


    I trailed my hand on my body as I thought about the moment he held my neck. From the strong grip and then the cold look in his eyes. It just kept going like a circle. I turned towards the window and watched as the wind made the curtains dance gradually, a smile crept to my lips and slowly, my eyelid fell close to sleep.


    The several bangs on the door pulled me out of sleep. I rushed out of bed. The sun wasn¡¯t up yet and the sky till held its darkness. I pulled the door open without even thinking and I found a guard and Magdalene standing right in front of me.


    ¡°Magdalene.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ra.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here this early? Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    I scrubbed my eyes with the back of my palm.


    ¡°I have been instructed to give you this?¡± She handed me a box.


    ¡°What is in it?¡±


    ¡°It contains your maid uniform and a list of what the king wants.¡±


    Oh shit! He really wasn¡¯t bluffing. But the kiss! How would I face him after the kiss?


    Facing Kieran again after what happened was something I really hadn¡¯t thought about. I just wanted to lock myself up in my room for the next few days until everything dies down before I would be able to face him again. But Kieran seemed to have other ns. He always knows what next to do to put me in a daring position. I didn¡¯t know how to look at him. But now I didn¡¯t just have to face him but be with him and attend to every of his needs. It was more than torture.


    Shits just got worse.


    I opened the box, there was a dress in it but it didn¡¯t look like the dress most of the maids wore. It was different, a blue dress. In a different scenario, I would say that it was pretty. There was noteand a key in the box with a head scarf. The note was a list. More like a schedule for Kieran including what he would have for breakfast.


    ¡°Apple pie and a cup of coffee,¡± I scoffed, ¡°At least its not a whole menu. I¡¯ll just have to avoid his eyes and everything would be just fine.¡±


    By the time I got to his chambers, he wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Oh thank God, I¡¯ll just get this water warm and his breakfast. Then I¡¯ll be out of here.¡±


    By the time I set his bath, I left to the kitchen to get his breakfast but when I returned, the door wasn¡¯t locked.


    ¡°You look good in that?¡± I heard  his voice from behind.


    ¡°I guess you picked a right fit. Good morning. Your bath is ready,¡± I didn¡¯t turn to face him just yet.


    ¡°Oh, I have had my bath already. I just need to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, the instruction from the note said that you would have your breakfast in your chambers so I was just setting the table for you,¡± and then I finally turned to face him. My eyes met his solid chest right in front of me. Beads of water droplets rolled down on his golden skin that sparkled as the lights from the bulbs reflected on them. His nipples were dark brown and pointy. And his pantsid a bit below his waist. I couldn¡¯t control my breaths as I turned away sharply.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave a clean robe for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I gasped as I hurried to get it where I had forgotten it on his bed.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± I handed it to him avoiding his face and the rest of his body.


    ¡°You seem tensed,¡± he noticed.


    ¡°I am fine, I am just here to do my job and leave.¡±


    ¡°Then do it.¡± His bossy and arrogant tone sent waves of anger through my mind. Normally, I would haveshed off at him and we would go on and on again. But instead, I only managed a smile and took up the tray to his table. As he settled in, I turned to leave.


    ¡°ra,¡± His voice suddenly sent the spark again but yet again, I didn¡¯t say anything. I only turned back and faced him.


    ¡°This was the only way I knew you would agree to see me. And aboutst night¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop. I don¡¯t want to talk about that. Look Kieran, enjoy your meal. Call me if you need me,¡± I made to leave again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± as I heard his voice, I lost every cool that I had managed to secure. How dare he?


    ¡°What?!¡± I yelled and turned towards him. He had set the other pieat the other end of the table where I stood.


    ¡°I can only eat one pie.¡±


    ¡°But the instruction on the note stated that you needed two.¡±


    ¡°The other one is for you.¡±


    ¡°For me? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat alone. At least not today.¡±


    ¡°Look Kieran I have to go.¡±


    ¡°And if I say please.¡±


    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t change anything. You assigned me a task and I must carry it out.¡±


    ¡°Please stay and eat with me.¡± And for the first time since I ever heard him speak at that meeting, he sounded very much polite. I wondered what had changed and refused to believe that the kiss could change anything between us. I couldn¡¯t fall for him, not a ruthless man who might just be like Ryan again. I just couldn¡¯t risk my heart being shattered and even if I knew that I had to avoid him as much as I can, I couldn¡¯t say no. Not after how he sounded.


    Somehow, I felt honoured to be served with such politeness and so I pulled out the chair and settled in front of him. But I didn¡¯t eat, I just couldn¡¯t. I just sat there wondering what could be in his head.


    ¡°Why are just staring at me? Eat,¡± he smiled.


    I frowned at him, ¡°Why are you suddenly being so nice? What are you up to?¡±


    I looked at the pie in front of me.


    ¡°Wait? You actually think it is poisoned?¡± He chuckled, e on, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done that a long time ago.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ruin your perfect speech then.¡±


    ¡°I am the Lycan King, ra. Poisoning you is a petty way to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds more like you,¡± I folded my arms leaning to the chair.


    ¡°I just want us to talk.¡±


    ¡°If it is aboutst night, I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was one of it but I also wanted to¡­¡±


    We were distracted by the presence of a guard.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There is someone here to see you. He said it is a matter of urgency.¡±


    ¡°And who might this person be disrupting my breakfast.¡± Kieran asked almost furious.


    ¡°He called himself the Alpha King.¡±

 Chapter SIXTY- FOUR: THE THREAT

    ¡°Oh my God, Ryan is here,¡± I jumped out of the chair as soon as the guard left.


    ¡°And how is that an issue?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Don¡¯t you know the reason for his visit?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t. Maybe you should tell me.¡±


    ¡°He might have heard that I am here. And now he hase to take me back.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have nothing to hide.¡±


    I stood stunned by what he had just said. He continued eating gently but he didn¡¯t say anything else. I sat, wide eyes. How could he be so calm when he knew exactly why Ryan hade?


    ¡°I need to leave and perhaps find a ce to hide. I can¡¯t let Ryan see me here. I can¡¯t go back to him. Not with all that I had seen.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you need to calm down,¡± he walked closer holding my hands, ¡°You are with me now so don¡¯t be scared, you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Kieran. I¡­ I¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Hey,¡± he held my chin raising my face and I looked at his eyes again, ¡°Breathe. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    I looked away immediately. I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that there we had a sort of connection. But it needed to stop. I had to take it all away and make it stop.


    ¡°Lets go,¡± he said.


    ¡°To where? Oh no, I can¡¯t follow you there.¡±


    ¡°Ryan would not ce a finger on you. Trust me.¡±


    I took a deep breath and then walked out as he led me out.


    ¡­


    ¡°ra! It¡¯s such a relief to see you,¡± Ryan said as soon as he saw me. He made to move towards me but he guards held him back.


    ¡°Ryan, what are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have been looking for you all over. I haven¡¯t slept a wink since your disappearance. You don¡¯t know how much joy I feel seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°I always suspected that you were here but I just couldn¡¯te to ept it. I never actually thought the Lycan King would cross his boundaries and take you. Well, until I heard rumours that a newdy had arrived at Kieran¡¯s Pce and he is keeping her as his personal maid. The description fits you and so I had toe. I am so d you are okay. We need to leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ryan but she is not going anywhere with you,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°You might be the Lycan King but you have over stepped your boundaries. ra is mine!¡±


    ¡°Well she wouldn¡¯t be here if she was yours. Look, go home and look after your pack.¡±


    ¡°Come on ra, lets go back to what we were doing,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°ra,¡± Ryan called out, ¡°I have always known that you are selfish. I took care of you and gave you a life and now you add being ungrateful to your list.¡±


    ¡°Good bye Ryan,¡± I said.


    ¡°You dare not leave!¡±


    ¡°Ryan you have to stop fighting. This is a lost battle. I do not want toe back to you. I am happy here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? ra look, I would do anything that you so desire. And I promise to keep to my promise once youe back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want toe back. I trusted you Ryan, but you are not what I thought you were. I know your ns and I am so d I got to find out.  Leave Ryan.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave without you.¡±


    ¡°Well, thedy asked you to leave. Guards! See to it that he leaves the pce.¡±


    Kieran pulled my hand as we walked. Ryan wasn¡¯t taking it lightly he tried to force his way through and the guards pulled him back dragging him away. I could still hear his voice as he cussed and called my name. I just didn¡¯t like the feeling that creeped to me. Somehow, I felt guilty. Perhaps I should have just stayed inside and avoided anymore drama. I took my hands away from Kieran.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked.


    ¡°My room. I have a headache, I need to rest.¡±


    I thought all night about what had happened. The look on Ryan¡¯s face, like he cared about me while all he cared about was to harm me. It was scary.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°How could he be so callous?¡± I sniffed, wiping the tears that rolled down from my eyes.


    ¡­


    Kieran had taken me off the maid duties and so I was left with nothing to do. But I knew Donna would need a hand in her tomato farm and so I got a basket and headed to her quarters. She had a weird look on her face as soon as she saw me approaching.


    ¡°Hey Donna,¡± I said smiling.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked looking over her shoulders which got me worried.


    ¡°Well, I came to see you. You mentioned the other day that today is harvesting day and so I came down here with this basket to help you harvest.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she said.


    ¡°But why?¡± Her continuous hushed tone and looking around made me a bit worried.


    ¡°Okay, give me a second let me get my tools.¡±


    In a few seconds she was out and we walked towards the gate.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Donna? Are you okay?¡±


    I noticed she maintained a distance as we walked down.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s a lie. At first you weren¡¯t happy to see me and now it feels like you don¡¯t want to walk with me. Come on, what is going on? Is there anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing ra, believe me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little hard to believe.¡±


    As we got to the gate, Donna walked into the guards quarters just as she had done before and when she returned, she looked worse than how she had entered.


    ¡°You need to leave ra.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The guards, they wouldn¡¯t let me pass.¡±


    ¡°But why? I thought you said you had someone in there?¡±


    ¡°Yes I do, but they wouldn¡¯t let me pass because of you.¡±


    ¡°I chuckled, ¡°Is this some kind of joke? But they let us pass before.¡±


    ¡°Please you need to leave now. The tomatoes would not harvest itself.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the basket,¡± she snatched the basket from my grip avoiding my eyes as she walked out of the gate without another word. I just stood there stunned and confused.


    ¡°What just happened? Maybe she is just having a bad day,¡± I thought. But everyone couldn¡¯t just have a bad day all at once as they looked at me sternly. For a second, I felt a bit ufortable walking around alone and so I thought to stop by at Magdalene¡¯s.


    Magdalene was outside decorating  a dress by the time I got to her home.


    ¡°Hey Magdalene, that¡¯s a beautiful dress you have there,¡± Imended but just like everyone else she didn¡¯t seem to notice that I was speaking.


    ¡°Hey Magdalene, are you okay?¡± I moved closer to touch her and then she cringed and threw my hands away.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I came to see you. I never really thanked you for the dress and free makeup section the other day.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is no need for that. I never should have wasted my dress and efforts on you. You don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon? Did I do something wrong? First it was Donna, the guards and the people I passed by and now you? What is really going on?¡±


    ¡°Leave ra, I don¡¯t want you anywhere around here.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to at least tell me what I have done wrong to deserve all this treatment.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what the King sees in you. Well it is only a matter of time before you show your true self. It is only a weak werewolf that would betray her own pack. You have no shame. You should leave this pack. We don¡¯t want your trouble. Wherever you go, you bring nothing but trouble.¡±


    ¡°Wait what? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Leave! Or I¡¯ll make you leave.¡±


    ¡°Magdalene, I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±


    She stumped inside the house but I still did not leave.


    ¡°Betrayal? What the fuck is she talking about?¡±


    She returned with a bucket of water and before I could understand what was going on, cold water ran from my head down to the other parts of my body.


    ¡°Magdalene!¡± I gasped as I shivered.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t want to leave?¡±


    I navigated my way back to the pce dripping wet. The people with their eerie stares watched, giggling from the corners. It was the humiliation of a life time. I stopped as I saw Donna standing there with a basket of tomatoes. As usual, she said nothing to me. Only watching like the rest of them, although she didn¡¯tugh. The worst part of it was the fact that I had not even the slightest idea of why I was being detested and tagged as a weakling and betrayal by an entire town.

 Chapter SIXTY- FIVE: SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE

    My skin was cold and my trails were marked by my wet footsteps. I matched down to Kieran who was seated in the courtyard.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± He said as soon as he saw me all drenched. The tears falling freely was the only thing that warmed me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on but I think the entire town hates me,¡± my words were muffled as tears choked me.


    ¡°Hey, slow down. Get me a towel!¡± He called put for the maids and soon a towel arrived.


    ¡°Okay, tell me what happened? How did you get this wet?¡±


    ¡°Someone poured water on me.¡±


    ¡°And who is this person? Tell me so the guards can bring the person here.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that. Something is going on in town and whatever it is, it sure doesn¡¯t include my presence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, you need to calm down and talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Look Kieran, I went to town today and everyone I passed by had this look like I was intruding in their space. Like I was some gue that had befallen theirnd. Even Donna didn¡¯t let me go with her to her tomato farm. It was horrible. And then I went to see Magdalene and she couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye. But she said something, that I am a weakling because I betrayed my pack. She asked me to leave several times but I just wouldn¡¯t listen. I feel so humiliated.¡±


    ¡°Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°I think someone is spreading fake and horrible things about me. And whatever this person is saying, it is really getting into everyone¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Okay look, I will send one of my guards into town to get the full information to see if you are actually right about this spy. If it is true, then we have to get this spy. So we can¡¯t do anything for now until he returns. Right now you have to rx. Everything will be fine. Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°Who would want to do this to me? I don¡¯t even go to town. Why would someone want to jeopardize my image to people I don¡¯t even know?¡±


    ¡°Come on ra, don¡¯t do this to yourself.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get to see the way they looked at me so you won¡¯t understand.¡±


    I just couldn¡¯t control the tears as bitterness filled my heart. Everywhere I go I get to have enemies all around. I have always yearned for peace but instead got only the opposite. I crawled to Kieran¡¯s arms and he stroked my hair. I didn¡¯t want him to stop as it made me calm and a bit more rxed.


    ¡°Come, I should put you to bed,¡± he offered.


    He tucked me in bed and made to leave.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave,¡± I said.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Just stay a bit longer, please.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was actually asking him to stay but he was the only one that I could talk to at the moment. Every other person around saw me as an imposter but the problem was why they would even think that of me.


    The next morning by the time I opened my eyes, Kieran was gone and so I went down to his chambers and found him talking to the guard that he had sent into town. Just as I arrived, the guard walked away and Kieran did not seem happy with the news.


    ¡°What did the guard say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He said that you were right. There are words spreading all over town about you. And what you heard was just a littlepared to what the people are talking about.¡±


    ¡°What are they talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, ording to them, you killed your parents and ran away. A pack weed you and you betrayed them by telling their secret to their opposition pack which nned an attack and wiped everyone out making you a betrayal. They also said that you cause havoc wherever you go. And so they want you out of the town.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    ¡°I know this is bad.¡±


    ¡°This is unredeemable. I am fucked. Were they able to get the person spreading this news?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But the people are responsive so they would get the person sooner than we think. That¡¯s a good news.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°There is no hope, Kieran. I think I should just leave. Maybe my absence would bring peace back to the town.¡±


    ¡°Hey, let me handle this,¡± he grabbed my arms and then pushed me closer in a tight hug.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call for a meeting with everyone in town. These are my people they would listen to me. But I need you to trust me because we have to work together. No more quarrels between us at least for now. You don¡¯t have to do anything that would draw any more attention to you. Just be on a low ground for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°And one more thing.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°You would no longer stay in that room. Just in case the people decides to take matters into there own hands.¡±


    ¡°So where would I stay?¡±


    ¡°From now on, you would stay with me in my chambers.¡±


    ¡°What? Kieran,¡±


    ¡°Do you have any better n?¡±


    I paused.


    ¡°I thought as much, so my n stands.¡±


    His chambers? Come on.

 Chapter SIXTY- SIX: THE DAYMARE

    ¡°Let me officially wee you to my Chambers. My quarters. I guess you already know your way around.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Well thank you and I don¡¯t know my way around. I just know that this is your chamber.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well you get to explore.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, getfortable and try to get some sleep, tomorrow would be a long day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded.


    Although I didn¡¯t fully understand what he meant by ¡®a long day¡¯ but I knew quite well that whatever the day would bring, I needed to be prepared.


    ¡°I will inform the maids to bring food and supplies for you here. Whatever you do, avoid staying out too long.¡±


    ¡°I know, I am not a kid.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just have to remind you. You know how stubborn you can be. I will not be able to protect you if you don¡¯t listen to me,¡± He smirked.


    I hated the fact that I needed him. He rubbed it on my face at the slightest opportunity he got.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I know. It¡¯s not like I have anywhere to go or anyone else to talk to. It¡¯s just you and I now,¡± I said sarcastically forcing a smile.


    He moved to the lower part of the drawer and took out a key.


    ¡°This is the key to the door of this chamber, just in case you need to move around,¡± he ced it on my palm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he headed towards the door.


    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± I asked. Hearing the quiver at the edge of my voice was enough for me to know that I was scared.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Lycan king ra, you don¡¯t expect me to be locked up in here in my chambers all day now, do you? Look, as long as you are in here, no harm would befall you. Just make yourselffortable.¡±


    He walked out and I locked the door after him exhaling forcefully just as I rested my back on the door. It had indeed been a crazy week. I never thought that being the sole enemy of an entire town would be the worst feeling ever and very much exhausting. Looking over my shoulders whenever I needed to walk out had gotten me neck pain. I couldn¡¯t sleepwith my both eyes closed properly because someone might be looking. I would jerk in response from every noise. Everyone looked at me as though they would devour me even at the slightest opportunity.


    I lounged on the bed watching the ceiling for a while. Ever since I saw Ryan again, everything just changed. It seemed like he came back with something, a wave of worries that followed him. For the first time in a long time I was scared. I justid there waiting for nothing in particr. Kieran had not stated what he wanted to do to stop whatever was going on. It was like he spoke in codes. My heavy eyelids fell slowly as my head ached.


    ¡­


    The thud on the window ss pulled me out of sleep. I crawled out of bed my eyes still feeling heavy from not having just enough rest. And then the thud came again. I moved slowly towards the window to see who had the stones targeted towards the window. As I got close, a stone ran through the ss shattering it to the ground. I froze as I watched the stone roll on the marble floor towards me. I moved closer to the window and there and then, I saw the people standing there. They all spoke at once and had a look I didn¡¯t like. They were more like an angry mob all chantingand pointing rods and wooden sticks towards up the window towards me. My heart raced and my lips felt dry. A few of the men already brought thedders to the window and I retreated searching for ideas.


    ¡°Oh my God, Kieran please, where are you? This people are getting crazy. What should I do? How can I get out of here?¡± I trembled.


    I turned away just immediately. Even as my legs struggled to keep still, there was not much time to wait around for help. The key stillid on the bed. I snatched it and fled the pce and headed towards the gate.


    ¡°She is over here!¡± A man yelled.


    ¡°Donna, please help me,¡± I pleaded as I sighted Donna standing by the gate, just like the rest of the people, she was with a spear. Her eyes glowed red like that of the red blood Luna. Suddenly, the sky turned red and I was sunken in the midst of the people. There gazes were like piercing arrows through my flesh. I looked around and kept turning again and again until it felt like my head spanned on its own. My chest seized and I began to gasped for air. My eyes already felt too hot and tears poured warming my cheeks.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll leave your town. Just let me go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote ra, you should have left when we asked you to,¡± Donna¡¯s voice echoed.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡±


    ¡°Our Luna goddess needs her sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My eyes were blurry.


    ¡°You are what we need.¡±


    Their hystericughter filled my head.


    I screamed and jumped out of bed, sweat tricking from my forehead down to my chest. My already elerated breathing pounded my chest as I gasped for air. I wiped my forehead with the back of my palm and turned sharply to the window and everything was still intact. I still heard my breaths and theughter of the people. I stumbled on the bedside drawer and found a bottle of water. And with my hands clutched against the flesh of my tightening chest, I gulped down the water.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking dream. All this shit is beginning to mess with my mind.¡±


    Just then, the doorbell buzzed. I turned and face it sharply.


    Now is really not the right time for this.


    The memories from the dream still haunted me. Kieran didn¡¯t say when he would be back. I had no idea how long I had been asleep. I just watched the door in awe, not realisingthat I had squeezed the sheets in my grip until I left the bed and walked slowly towards it. I was careful not to make a sound until I was close enough to know who it was, at least.


    I ced my ear on the door for a while and the buzz came again. It aligned with my heart as it began to pace even faster. With my hands still trembling, I reached out for the doorknob. The thought of the people all lined up like they had done by the window, with their weapons, and the stare on Donna¡¯s face haunted me. But the buzz did not stop instead, it turned into a knock.


    ¡°Kieran, is that you?¡± I whispered underneath my breath. But my hands only shook more when no response came. I couldn¡¯t face anyone not even the maids that Kieran had asked to bring in the supplies, they all felt like a threat. In my dream, everyone was against me. Even Donna who made the pce a bit warm the first day I hade. If it wasn¡¯t Kieran then I was ready to just head back and sit down on the sofa chair until he woulde back and called out to me.


    ¡°Open the door ra,¡± the voice said from outside.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I had never been happier to hear his voice. I opened the door but he was not alone. The maid with the supplies stood beside him.


    ¡°What was your n? To keep me out?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I responded. The maid handed me the supplies even if I avoided her eyes, I could still see the smile on her face. Maybe I was overthinking the whole thing. Having to stay with Kieran in his chambers has made me see it in a much different aspect. In a bit, she was gone.


    ¡°You took a really long time before opening that door. For a while, I thought you might be doing it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I know I might not like you but I can¡¯t possibly keep you out of your chambers at a time like this. I was just a bit scared. I had a terrible dream.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I rather not. It¡¯s crazy. I mean it has been crazy ever since I got here,¡± I scoffed.


    He moved closer to me and ced his hand on my shoulders,  ¡°Somehow, it feels kind of good to see you scared. You should have seen your face when you saw the maid behind me. Maybe in your mind, you would have thought that I was with them now,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Oh Come on, do you really have to make a joke about everything?¡± I threw his hand off my shoulder.


    ¡°For you,  yes. It¡¯s a really good joke. Look, I might be helping you but it still doesn¡¯t mean that you are on my good book or we might be friends.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°who says we might be friends? You are not even friend worthy.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, well you better still have this strength by tomorrow because we would be addressing the people.¡±


    ¡°We?!¡± I nearly yelled.


    ¡°Yes ra,  you and I.¡±

 Chapter SIXTY- SEVEN: CLARA MEETS THE PEOPLE

    ¡°Kieran, I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is going to be fine. All you have to do is just stand there let the people see you. I¡¯ll do all the talking. These are my people and they do only what I instruct of them. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about,¡± He grinned.


    I exhaled.


    After Kieran mentioned that we would address the people together, I had little sleep. I stayed up all night thinking of what would befall me if the people refuses to listen. Kieran might change his mind and let the people take me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he called out to me.


    I faced him.


    ¡°We have to go, the people are waiting.¡±


    I nodded as he led me out. I followed Kieran behind as he walked out facing the crowd. There were cheers and tters as they saw him. He talked a while with the people. And no one needed to tell me that even if he was often tagged as ruthless and mean, he knew just how to make the people happy and so he didn¡¯t just have their loyalty but their love. The responses I heard from the people from where I stood; away from the light, was just enough to calm me. And then Kieran turned to his side, he didn¡¯t see me were I should have been beside him.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he whispered and gave me his hands which I took and he pulled me up into the light with him. And just as I stood beside him watching the people, their voices changed from the lightughers and cheers to an outburst of boos.


    ¡°Weakling!¡± The voice came from the crowd.


    ¡°Intruder!¡± from another loud voice.


    My legs shook and my eyes warmed up. I didn¡¯t know Kieran¡¯s n but it certainly wasn¡¯t working. I just wanted the ground to open up so I would fall and rest beneath away from the people.


    ¡°What is she doing up there?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Get her off this town!¡± A much louder voice echoed. It had be a whirl storm of voice oozing the worse words ever.


    ¡°Silence!¡± I turned sharply to Kieran as hemandedand just as he had instructed, everywhere was calm again.


    ¡°Kieran, I should just go,¡± my voice quivered in mywhisper.


    ¡°Stay,¡± Kieran held me firmly.


    ¡°It is true that there have been rumours,¡± Kieran began addressing the people.


    ¡°These rumours are spreading fast around town that ra here is a betrayal and not worthy in thisnd. I am disappointed in every one from picking up such false story from strangers spreading it in town.¡±


    ¡°But how do we know that it is false?¡± Someone shouted from the crowd, ¡°she is a stranger too.¡±


    ¡°It is true that she is a visitor in this town. But this town has been known to show love and hospitality to strangers. Why is this any different?¡±


    ¡°She has a bad reputation!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd again.


    ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    ¡°She harmed her people!¡±


    ¡°Did you see her harm anyone?¡± Kieran asked and everywhere went silent.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know any of this that is why I insist that you all should be calm. I am doing an investigation on this. Let¡¯s be rest assured that we are going to get the person spreading this news amongst the people. Until then, there should be no more word against ra,¡± he said firmly and I turned sharply to face him. Watching in awe.


    But the people did not take it lightly as they began their outburst again. There were more boos and they became a bit violent trying to push their way through the guards. My heart pounded as I watched them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± I couldn¡¯t hear my voice as it was choked up in tears. But Kieran wasn¡¯t one to give up just yet.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he roared. His voice vibrated through the crowd and everywhere became calm as if everyone froze in time.


    ¡°I have given my final words on this. Whoeverys a finger on her dies by my ws,¡± he said and turned away from the people taking me along.


    All through the time we walked back, he said nothing. He still marvelled me, one minute he is a jerk and the other he is standing by me against his people. I have never seen anyone like him before. There was just something about him that I still couldn¡¯t ce my finger on. As annoying as he may seem, the moment was next to none. All through the walk down to his chamber, his hands sped to mine so strong that it was as though I would disappear if he let go.


    We said nothing to each other as we got back into his chambers. I just stood there without the words to say and he seemed to be a bit lost in thought himself.


    ¡°That was something,¡± he said but I only shrugged a response as I stood by the door. Suddenly the room felt too cold and Goosebumps appeared in my skin.


    ¡°I have never seen the people that angry before?¡± I said, ¡°I have never imagined that the next time I would stand infront of a crowd like this would be for the wrong reason.¡±


    He walked closer and held me close.


    ¡°Come on it¡¯s okay. It would all be over soon,¡± he led me to the bed and I sat by the edge.


    I rubbed my skin feeling the bumps just then, I turned and found him pulling off his clothes. I turned away sharply.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I need to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Like now?¡± I asked again looking away.


    ¡°Of course, I have been out all day. I could do with a cold bath.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    As the bathroom door creaked, I turned. He already stood by the entrance. And from where I sat, I could still the line running from his back. And I looked away again.


    The door was still ajar, the light in the bathroom shone brighter.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t he just shut the door already,¡± I muttered. I didn¡¯t look away. At first, I just saw the sshes. Maybe he didn¡¯t know that the door had left its lock.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out but the sshes from the running water on the tiles and his hums resounded. He just wouldn¡¯t hear and so I moved towards it so I would close it myself before it would be a disaster. But then, I stopped on my next step as I saw just a part of his back upwards. The waterran down from his hair to his neck. My gaze just couldn¡¯t leave the view. He glowed. The water running through his smooth skin, the same one I held all day. But it looked even more beautiful that night. With the dimples just below hisback, and a path that led the waters on.


    ¡°Oh ra,¡± I whispered and walked back.


    After a while he was out.


    ¡°You should take a shower too,¡± he said as soon as he walked out of the bathroom.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking.¡±


    ¡°Come on Kieran, I don¡¯t have any clothes with me. I¡¯ll just go back to my room and have a shower and then I¡¯lle back.¡±


    ¡°Alright fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is clear to me that you know the members of my pack and this town more than I do. You think I let you stay here because I like to see your face?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I get your point. I want to take a shower but I don¡¯t have a change of clothe.¡±


    Kieran pulled out an old trunk from the closet and searched through for a while, then he tossed me an old big worn-out t-shirt and a short.


    ¡°You can use that for the night. I¡¯m sure it would fit perfectly. I¡¯ll be stepping out for a bit.¡±


    I nodded in response. As I turned to face the bathroom door, I heard the door and when I turned, he was gone. I took off what I had on. The lines from wearing tight denim pant all day glowed pink on my skin. I held on to the clothes Kieran had given me in my arms across my bare chest, with only mypanties on. Just then, the door knob clicked and Kieran walked in, he held a tray, his eyes met with mine.


    ¡°Oh my God Kieran,¡± I gasped as I hustled to cover up.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he stuttered joggling with the tray as he prevented the contents from falling off but his eyes still didn¡¯t leave mine.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ no its my fault I shouldn¡¯t be out here,¡± I said.


    But he walked back outside shutting the door beside himbefore I could even finish my statement. I hurried to the bathroom shutting the door. With no other sound in the room apart the sound of the clear water gushing from the shower, I had a cold shower.

 Chapter SIXTY- EIGHT: I AM NOT INVITED

    The creaks from the door pulled me out of the shower. Somehow, the once perfect door has lost its ability to grip in itstch. The door stood more open than how it was earlier.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    I shoved a floor mat folded at a corner at the base of the door to keep it closed.


    ¡°This should do.¡± I muttered and then I heard the door open again, his huge footsteps shook so hard on the creaky floor boards that I feared it might spring open again.


    What if that happened and he looked up to find me naked, wet, slippery? Oh my God, that would be so difiting. I wonder what he would think of me after that. I wonder what he would think of me even now that he had seen me with just my panties on. At least it would finally ur to him that I am a woman. A pretty one at that. I scoffed.


    Oh God ra, you worry too much. Maybe he actually didn¡¯t see anything.


    Kieran was settled on the sofa by the time I came out.


    ¡°You should get that door fixed,¡± I said.


    ¡°For some reason, it chose today to misbehave. But its all good. The pce manager would handle that by morning. Its not like you have anything to hide anyway,¡± he chuckled.


    I turned sharply, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°See what? Was there anything to see?¡± Heughed again.


    He just knew the right words to piss me off. I stormed away from him towards the window.


    It was quiet again, until I heard him approach me.


    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond neither did I look away from the window. I wished I could tell him that I didn¡¯t mind if he did because then, we would be even.


    ¡°You hungry?¡± He asked, ¡°I brought us dinner.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat at the dining table anymore. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t possibly leave you here alone to eat.¡±


    I faced him. He was just an admixture of personalities. Sometimes he would strike me with his piercing gaze, provoking words that came along with mock chuckles. But at times like this, he was the warmth on chilly nights covering anyone around that those around would feel deserved. And at that point that was how I felt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the burger,¡± I said with a sly smile.


    After the first bite I stared at him again.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I looked away.


    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not nothing.¡±


    I exhaled forcefully.


    ¡°Just wondering.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± I saw the curiosity in his eyes.


    ¡°Why you are protecting me,¡± I said, ¡°I guess you know about it right?¡±


    ¡°Know about what?¡± His eyes were nk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, it¡¯s okay if that¡¯s what you want as well. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t want that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lost ra, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The prophecy. I am talking about the prophecy. I¡¯m sure you have heard of it.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°What prophecy?¡±


    At that point, I just looked at him. He still had the lost look on his face. It was obvious that he had no idea what I was talking about.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about the prophecy?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Never mind then,¡± I heaved.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not important. And since you don¡¯t know about it. It shouldn¡¯t bother you that much.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you have mentioned it, I would like to know about it.¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s not important. Just let it be.¡±


    ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t have even talked about it in the first ce. Now, I would stay the whole night thinking about this thing I never heard.¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    I exhaled and leaned to the chair.


    ¡°When I was still at Ryan¡¯s ce, I stumbled upon his journal. It turned out that Ryan has been working on something for a while, something that had to do with a prophecy. That was why he was keeping me.¡±


    ¡°What is this prophecy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it but from the journal, I found put that every hundred years, a child is born possessing unimaginable powers and on the night of the millennium blood moon, the chosen one can be stripped of his or her powers. Turns out I am the chosen one, or at least, Ryan thinks so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have heard of something like that. But I didn¡¯t connect the dots just yet. So if Ryan thinks that you are the chosen one, that means he wants to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I had to leave.¡±


    ¡°I see. Makes a lot more sense. I have always wondered why you called.¡±


    ¡°It is hard to believe, even I don¡¯t believe it. I mean how can I possess such powers and up until now, I am living by the mercies of your people?¡±


    ¡°Things like that don¡¯te as easy as you think. It doesn¡¯t just work the way that you want it to.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°If you really are the chosen one, then you sure are destined for great things. And you would surely find out why.¡±


    His words tickled me and Iughed out loud. He just stood there watching me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are funny. Destined for great things? Come on, my parents are no where to be found. I have lived like a ve for so long I forget I even have a life. There are no great things.¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, if really you are the chosen one, then you¡¯ll see.¡±


    I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°So if you didn¡¯t know about this, why really are you helping me? Anyone could have just thrown me out.¡±


    ¡°You should get some sleep,¡± He ignored me.


    ¡°So you are seriously not going to answer that?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Tomorrow is going to be a long day.¡±


    ¡°It is always a long day with you,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡­


    Everyone in their fancy dresses chit-chatting with their plus one or perhaps an acquaintance. Their voices low and courteous. Kieran already explored the hall, giggling from the distance as everyone came to him. But there I was, rooted in a corner avoiding the attention of anyone.


    A waitress walked passed holding a stic tray with half-filled sses of champagne.


    ¡°Hey, can I have some?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure.¡± She handed me a ss.


    As soon as I sighted Kieran, he waved towards me toe over. I shook my head in disapproval but he wasn¡¯t ready to let go just yet and so was I. At first, he made me join him to a party that I was clearly not invited to. Everyone looked at me as a trespasser. Even if they said nothing directly to me, it was obvious by the way they looked at me. Kieran still relentless, walked towards me with ady by his side.


    ¡°Hey ra,¡± he said smiling, ¡°I want you to meet someone, ¡°This is udia, my cousin.¡±


    ¡°Hi udia,¡± I managed a smile.


    ¡°Is she thedy you talked about?¡± udia whispered to Kieran but I could still hear her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then she turned to me with a smile.


    ¡°ra, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you. You know, when Kieran talked about you I just didn¡¯t believe it. I guess you were right after all,¡± she faced Kieran.


    ¡°What is she talking about?¡± I asked Kieran as soon as she walked on.


    But Kieran seemed not to hear me as he kept waving to the people.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out again, ¡°what is she talking about?¡±


    ¡°Look ra, I can¡¯t talk right now. Why are you in this corner anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I ehh just needed to stay off a bit. Don¡¯t change the topic.¡±


    ¡°This is an event, you need to mingle and meet new people.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t. Not with everyone staring at me that way.¡±


    ¡°Hey Kieran,¡± someone called from a far.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he whispered as he walked away.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I called out but he was already gone.


    And as he left, it was as if I had lost the ability to speak again.


    ¡°She is the one, look closely,¡± one of thedies said beside me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he would bring her here to mingle with us,¡± the other said.


    ¡°She should be thrown out, or better still jailed.¡±


    ¡°Jailed? That¡¯s not good enough,¡± the other scoffed.


    There words had be unending and the memory of the dress popped into my head again.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± I cussed and stormed towards Kieran.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out pulling him out from amongst the people.


    ¡°What is ra?¡±


    ¡°I need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m notfortable here anymore, I can hear their voices, it is like it is all in my head.¡±


    ¡°Right now, I would only say that you are being paranoid. Just rx, it¡¯s a party.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not wanted here. Look, I need to leave.¡±


    Just then, one of the guards rushed towards Kieran.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± He said in between his breath.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The spy has been found,¡± He said.

 Chapter SIXTY- NINE: KIERAN’S LITTLE SECRET

    As soon as we arrived back at the pce, the guards already had the spy, a slender man, gagged up on a chair.


    ¡°Thank you, you all have done well, I will take it up from here,¡± Kieran said.


    As I saw him sitting there, the urge to just squeeze him in my grip overwhelmed me. I dived towards him.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Let me handle it. We need to know who had sent him here. After that, we can do whatever we want with him,¡± Kieran held me back.


    I nodded and retrieved letting Kieran approach him.


    ¡°Who sent you here?¡± Kieran asked.


    But the man looked away. Kieran got closer to his face, ¡°I ask again, who sent you?¡±


    ¡°I am loyal to my master,¡± He said.


    Kieran chuckled, ¡°Loyal? Oh I see.¡±


    He walked back and then stormed towards him. His eyes glowed and he faced him revealing his ws to him. On seeing this, the man shook on the chair. His eyes suddenly lost the boldness that it once had. I knew just what he was going through.


    ¡°Speak!¡± He roared.


    ¡°It was Lord Ryan,¡± his voice quivered.


    ¡°Ryan? How could he do this to me?¡± I askedrhetorically.


    ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    ¡°He asked me toe into town in a disguise and spread the news to the people so that she would be thrown out and he would have her back.¡±


    ¡°How desperate can he be? Why didn¡¯t I even think of this?¡±


    ¡°Continue!¡± Kieran barked.


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± He trembled.


    ¡°Did he say what his next line of action would be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No¡­ no, he only said that if I do this, he would spare my family. Look, I didn¡¯t mean to do this. I just did what I was told because my family is in his custody.¡±


    I pulled Kieran away.


    ¡°Ryan has really done his bit in this one.¡±


    ¡°How can we make this rumour stop now that we know who is behind it?¡±


    ¡°At least, we has a few information in our grasp. Let¡¯s be grateful that we know the source.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. So what do we do with him now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He is of no use, I¡¯ll ask the guards to do away with him.¡±


    ¡°No, Kieran. He is just another victim.¡±


    ¡°So what do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°Just let him go.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? He might return to cause more harm.¡±


    ¡°Did you see his eyes? He sure doesn¡¯t look like he would like toe back here.¡±


    Kieran walked back to the man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go back to Ryan but you deliver a message to him.¡±


    The man nodded.


    Kieran pinned him down and the man scampered for safety but Kieran was not done with him just yet.


    ¡°First, you will go into town and tell everyone what you have done. Then you would go back to your master and tell him all that has happened here. Don¡¯t forget to let him know that his ns has failed. If I ever see your legs here again, I¡¯m sure going to cut them off. Now go!¡±


    He jumped off as he headed out.


    ¡°Do you think that the people are going to listen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. It would take time but they would listen.¡±


    I exhaled and wished that I could believe him but some part of me still felt that it was going to take a miracle before everything would be back to normal.


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Kieran asked from the study table. We had returned to his chambers.


    ¡°A lot,¡± I said facing the ceiling as Iid on the bed.


    ¡°Care to share?¡±


    ¡°Was just wondering if the people would actually listen. I mean what if they think it is just a plot to make them stop?¡±


    ¡°The people are smart but not a coward. They all know that he is a spy and spies don¡¯t do good in a town.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I was meaning to ask you Kieran, what was udia talking about?¡±


    He exhaled and faced the light but said nothing.


    ¡°Come on Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Are we still on this again? Besides, it¡¯s not important.¡±


    ¡°If it is not so important, then why don¡¯t you just let it out?¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°ra, just let it go.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± I smack my fist on the bed.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What is wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are suddenly acting crazy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am crazy. You go around telling everyone about me. Parading me around like I am some important figure here. And when I ask you, you always have a way of changing the topic. What is it? What are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°ra,¡±


    ¡°You keep acting like you care. In the face of everyone you act nice towards me. Just stop the pretence, it is passing me off.¡±


    ¡°ra!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Will you just shut up and listen?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I said nothing, sitting up as I folded my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I owe you any exnation but I¡¯ll tell you anyway.¡±


    He paused and stared at me but I avoided his eyes.


    Then he exhaled and walked out of the chair. Whatever it is he had to say, he sure wasn¡¯t ready for it. But I didn¡¯t mind. I couldn¡¯t stop him. I needed to know the truth. At least I knew I deserved that.


    ¡°When Kimberly died, I just couldn¡¯t bare it. I had known her since we were just kids and we always knew that we were destined to be together. Losing her took a part of me,¡± he spoke in a low tone.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°You know, I wasn¡¯t always like this. I always had my feelings in check. But without her, it was like my world had ended. Since I am the Lycan King, I was lucky to have a new mate but on the day we were to be mated, I rejected her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was so bad that every otherdy that I could have been with fled. They didn¡¯t want to face the humiliation the previousdy had felt. And deep down, I was d that they fled because I never wanted them. All I wanted was to sit alone here in my room. Drink wine and handle the affairs of my people from a distance. But as the days went by, it became very difficult as everyone wanted to see me or talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s horrible.¡±


    ¡°I had already sworn with myself to be with no one else. I lived a life of solitude. A life filled with hate and everyone called me ruthless.¡±


    ¡°I see. Exins a lot now.¡±


    ¡°But when I saw you that day¡­¡±


    ¡°You saw Kimberly right?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°I needed someone to y that part. Just to reassure the people that I was alright again. You had that peace re that she had.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I never knew you went through all of that.¡±


    ¡°It was hard at first but since you came in here, things has changed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Going through all of this with you has shown me that I still have a purpose to live.¡±


    ¡°I showed you that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean with all you¡¯ve been through, it¡¯s a lot. Everyone could have given up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thank you for telling me this.¡±


    ¡°I am not telling you this to pity me. I¡¯m only telling you this to get off my neck,¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°The whole thing was beginning to get in my head. I just needed the rification. Well now that everything is a bit stable, I bet I can finally head back to my room.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Yeah, but not tonight. The guards and maids will escort you back to your room in the morning.¡±


    In the morning, just as Kieran had said, the maids escorted me back to my room. And even if I had to wear a make up everyday, I still felt better knowing what it was all for.


    ¡°The king seeks your presence.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked the guard standing by the door as morning came the next day.


    ¡°You have been invited to have breakfast with him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I would be there shortly,¡± I said.


    ¡­


    ¡°You know, I was really hoping for breakfast in bed,¡± I said approaching him.


    ¡°You wish.¡±


    Then I settled in.


    ¡°So what are we having?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know I asked the chef to surprise me.¡±


    One of the maids walked in with the dishes and ced it on the table.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ what is that? Smells so good,¡± as she poured the water in the ss and turned to leave, her elbow knocked off the ss with water. I jerked and held her hand involuntarily as water spilled on me. She looked back at me.


    ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m so sorry, I will get that wiped off,¡± she said and looked away but there was something about her eyes. So cold and very much familiar.

 Chapter SEVENTY: SOMEONE IS WATCHING

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I heard Kieran¡¯s voice and I turned to face him.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that. She looks familiar.¡±


    ¡°Who? The maid?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her around but I can¡¯t possibly know all the maids.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, she is a new one.¡±


    ¡°Well, there hasn¡¯t been any recruitment of new maidtely.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I kept staring as she walked out but she didn¡¯t look back at me.


    ¡°Oh God ra, I select the maids in the pce myself. So chill, shut up and eat with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, you don¡¯t understand. She actually looks like someone from my past.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get, why are you so concerned anyway?¡±


    ¡°You know what? Never mind, maybe she isn¡¯t the one.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be her. Just forget about it.¡±


    ¡°You know, if you are so worried about it, why don¡¯t you just ask the head of the maids. She¡¯ll be in the better position to answer you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I guess she¡¯s not the one.¡±


    As much as I tried so hard to wave it off, I knew deep down that I never forgot a face. There was something about her, I just couldn¡¯t ce a finger on it just yet. Talking about it to Kieran again might push him off the edge so I kept shut and began digging into the food. Deep down, it bothered me but I still tried very much to hold it back. I didn¡¯t want Kieran to think that I was worried about a maid so he wouldn¡¯t see me as paranoid. Or worse, weak. So I knew, that I would have to face it myself. If there was something I didn¡¯t want at all, was anyone from my past spilling trash again about me to the people.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Ever since you saw that maid, you have been distant.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. Just random thoughts on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I wanted to tell you that I would be going for a trip.¡±


    ¡°A trip? You are leaving me here?¡±


    ¡°Heye of it, it¡¯s just for a day and besides you will be in safe hands.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked, the people still didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I mean they might not embrace you but they certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt you. All you have to do is stay in. Avoid walking alone. You never know who might be lurking in the dark,¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Stop that. That¡¯s not funny. But I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not afraid of the dark.¡±


    ¡°But seriously, don¡¯t walk alone. I can assign as many guards to you as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hey rx. I am not a kid and don¡¯t act like you actually really care about me. You and I know the reason why you are doing of this. So, just rx. Speaking of which there is somewhere I need to be.¡±


    ¡°Where? Maybe the guards can take you.¡±


    ¡°Oh no haven¡¯t you been listening? I am fine. I¡¯ll just be in and out. I don¡¯t need any babysitting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get you. No one is babysitting anyone. All I am saying is that you should just be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, I¡¯ll make sure I watch my back,¡± I chuckled.


    And so I left the dining room as Kieran prepared for his trip. As I walked down the hallway past the kitchen, I sighted the maid again.


    Just let it go. She isn¡¯t the one.


    But my instincts were never wrong, perhaps a few words would rify me off what I was thinking. I walked towards the kitchen and as soon as she sighted me from the distance, she turned away.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± I hurried towards her.


    But she didn¡¯t stop to listen.


    ¡°Can you just hold on for a second please?¡±


    I reached out to her and pulled her and she turned to face me.


    ¡°Hey, mydy,¡± she said avoiding my eyes.


    ¡°I have been calling out to you for a while, you seemed not to want to stop.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not the way you think. I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t hear you clearly the first time when you called.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°What can I help you with?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Talk to me? Am I in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It is just that you look very much familiar. I was wondering if I had see you somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Familiar?¡±


    ¡°Yes, like someone I had met before.¡±


    ¡°A friend?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that you think that I have the face if someone you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Everyone would be surprised.¡±


    Well, I get that a lot.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In the eyes of people they always see me like a lost rtive or a friend or acquaintance they met once.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. Perhaps your face is having that effect on me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± she said and made to leave.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I called back and then she turned and faced me again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all the questions but I wanted to know if you were newly recruited.¡±


    ¡°Newly recruited? Of course not. The pce doesn¡¯t just recruit maids. We are specifically picked.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see.¡±


    ¡°I have to go now,¡± she said immediately and made to leave. But I just stood there watching her walk in those familiar steps. Maybe she might be right, she just had the familiar face. I needed to let it all go so I don¡¯t start sounding paranoid.


    ¡°I need a good long nap,¡± I said as I walked back down the hallway.


    The only thing on my mind was to get to the room, wrapped up in the duvet and sleep with the dim lights on. There were only a few people on my path by the time I had walked up to a mile through the hallway. It felt strange, I nced through my watch at intervals wondering why the pce suddenly felt so empty and quiet.


    ¡°Maybe, they have a party I wasn¡¯t invited to. Who cares anyway?¡± I muttered. And just then, I heard a sound like a thud just behind me but when I turned, there was no one there. I kept on walking again. But this time, I heard shuffles like that of the sole of a shoe being dragged against the tiles. Iturned sharply but still, there was no one. I began to hasten my steps hurrying for my room. I could hear footsteps, someone was approaching me and really fast. I quickened my pace but did not dare to turn back again. My feet felt too heavy like it had failed me and my mind raced.


    It seems whoever was behind knew just when I wanted to turn around because I saw no one, not even a shadow. But I could feel it, a presence so strong that my heart pounded. Someone was behind me. I was so sure of it but I did not wish to find out who. Not after the dream and the urrence in the town. Kieran was right, I shouldn¡¯t has wandered out alone. Now he wasn¡¯t there to y the hero for me.


    Every time I turned, there was no one there only the dark shadows from the lights. But then the footstep got closer and so I ran and locked the door just as I got into the room. I peeked through the door and saw a part of a person¡¯s clothe right before the person walked into the dark. It was clear now that someone was really following me. And it creeped me out the more as I thought about it. As I headed for the bed, the door bell rang.

 Chapter SEVENTY- ONE: THE GREAT FALL

    I froze. And turned sharply to it again. I wasn¡¯t going tojust open that door not after what I had just seen.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank God,¡± I hurried towards the door and opened it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked as I pulled him in looking over his shoulders.


    ¡°I think someone was following me.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°After you left, I thought that I should take a stroll. And then on my way back, I heard noises. At first I thought it was just the normal random noises but then, I heard it again but whenever I looked back I would not see anyone. Until I started hearing footsteps. Someone was watching me and then following me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you need to calm down.¡±


    ¡°I know you feel that I¡¯m not making any sense but you just have to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I am listening.¡±


    ¡°When I got here, right before I closed the door shut, I think I saw someone. More like a figure in the shadows. You don¡¯t believe me do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. I told you not to walk around alone, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I did not go out of the pce.¡±


    ¡°I still insist that you shouldn¡¯t walk out alone in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, I thought this was all over. But Ryan would never stop, would he?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. Whatever happened isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Why are you back so early anyway? I thought you said it would be a whole day trip? I was expecting youter today or tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that, the trip got cancelled.¡±


    ¡°Oh great. Why was it cancelled?¡±


    ¡°So it would be extended.¡±


    ¡°Extended?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would be gone for a week.¡±


    ¡°What? A whole week?!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think I should leave at least not now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I barely left and you already have someone following you.¡±


    ¡°So you want to stay back because of me?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet but no. You can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll just keep the guards around and stay indoors.¡±


    ¡°Would that work for you?¡± He asked looking very much concerned.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not like I have other options.¡±


    ¡­


    After the fifth day, I totally lost track of date and time. I justid down all day rolling from side to side. The bed had suddenly began to feel like thorns on my skin. On hot days it was even worse. As if the walls were closing down on me. But ever since the incident that day, I had not experienced anything of that sort not even close. As the day went by, it felt like I could have just be seeing things or acting paranoid. I didn¡¯t know anymore as staying indoors had began to mess with my head.


    Another day inside and I knew just then that I might go crazy. But Kieran¡¯s words still rang in my head. And so Iid back in bed. By the time I woke up for the sixth time that dayI knew I had gotten just enough. My throat was too dry for anything. The maid assigned to bring in my lunch didn¡¯t show up as expected. I had been locked up in my room for so long that everyone has finally forgotten about me. I knew that if I needed something, I had to get it myself. And to remind everyone that I was still in existence at least. And so I just walked out of the room.


    The hallway was brightly lit and there were people walking around. It wasn¡¯t quiet nor dark and eerie. Just normal as it had always been.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called out to the maid that walked ahead of me, heaped pule of bedsheets rested in her arms.


    ¡°Yes mydy,¡± she responded.


    ¡°I was wondering why I haven¡¯t seen the maid assigned to me. I have been in there all day without food or water. I just wanted to know if everything is okay.¡±


    ¡°May I ask who was the maid assigned to you?¡±


    ¡°Lucy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh Lucy didn¡¯te in today. I don¡¯t think she even left her quarters today.¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I heard the doctor diagnosed food poisoning.¡±


    ¡± I just hope she is doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she would be fine.¡±


    ¡°But why did no one tell me this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, they should have. I¡¯m so sorry that you had to go through that.¡±


    ¡°Its alright.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I could help you with?¡± She asked.


    I looked at the sheets on her hand.


    ¡°I was actually thirsty but I would just get the water myself. Besides you have your hands full.¡±


    ¡°Its not a problem. I can just drop this and get you the water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I would handle this myself. Just make sure that a maid is assigned to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied.


    As I turned to leave, a ck figure quickly moved into the shadows. It happened so fast but I knew what I had seen. There was someone there. Someone had been watching.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± I asked the maid.


    ¡°See what?¡± She turned but we both stared at an empty space.


    ¡°A figure.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s quite obvious now. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I will be as soon as I get that water,¡± I said with a smile to ease off the tension that was ready between us.


    She smiled back and walked away but my eyes did not leave that view. I wanted to walk into the shadows to see what could be lurking there. But instead, I just turned and walked straight right into the kitchen.


    I strolled across the hallway with the bottle of water in my grip. But then, I avoided following the same route that I hade from. I got towards the staircase and just then, I sighted a shadow move so I moved closer to see who was approaching the stairs. But then, footsteps came rushing behind me. Before I could turn to see who it was, I felt a heavy push on my back which made me trip over the flight ofstairs. It happened so fast. Everything blurred around me as gravity pulled me downwards. Gasping as my heart raced and my body yearning for safety, I reached for the rail or anything to anchor but found only empty air. Then I shut my eyes. Perhaps, it was the end.

 Chapter SEVENTY- TWO: SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY

    My eyes shut tight hoping to crash hard on the ground as I tumbled, instead I was pulled towards a wall. Then I opened my eyes still panting from the near death experience. It was Kieran, he was there. He had caught me. I held him closely. We said nothing to each other. I just wanted to be there a little longer. In his arms, I thought about everything, how fragile life posed to be and how everything could change in split seconds.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.


    I only looked at him, tears flowing freely. The words were there staring me in the eyes but I couldn¡¯t say them. My muscles had beid and too weak to speak. Would he believe me? Or I just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that someone had just tried to kill me and he had been my saviour again. How would I begin to tell him all these things and not sound insane because it didn¡¯t make sense. Nothing made sense.


    Kieran carried me to his chambers. Not long after, hecame in with a man. This man touched me; my neck, my arms and even my eyes. I wanted to tell him how the white lights burned my eyes when he took the lights closer. I heard their words but they kept acting like they couldn¡¯t hear mine. Maybe, the words echoed in my head just as theirs did to me.


    ¡°I think she is in shock.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Will she be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, she just needs to rest. What really happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know doc.¡±


    ¡°You just met her like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I mean no,¡± He stuttered. ¡°I was on my way back. I decided to use the stairs and then I saw her falling.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­. do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Think what?¡±


    ¡°That this was a suicide attempt?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. ra would never do that to herself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, guessing she might have tripped.¡±


    ¡°Tripped?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that it was something else? Like someone might have pushed her?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t know. She is the only one that can tell us what really happened. How long would she be like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long but hopefully for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Oh God. I just hope she is okay.¡±


    ¡°She just had a near death experience so it is normal if this happens. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank doc,¡± Kieran said and soon the man was gone.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay in there?¡± He asked as soon as he returned and I just managed a nod.


    He took up the ss of water from the bed and brought it closer to me.


    ¡°Here, you need to drink.¡±


    He held my head until I was able to take in the water that greased my throat.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out.


    ¡°Thank God, you are finally talking.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I told you there was someone watching in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the person?¡±


    ¡°No. The person pushed me from behind. I could have died if you weren¡¯t there to save me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I am d I was right in time. I cannot begin to imagine what could have happened to you. The doctor says you are fine. You have no injuries. You were just in shock. But you are okay now.¡±


    I touched his hand and mouthed, ¡°Thank you.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Indeed, he was my saviour. He needed to be because everyday I spent at the pce meant nothing but chaos for me. My presence only attracted more enemies. And I knew the strange happenings were just beginning. I needed to be ready.


    ¡­


    It was already noon, Iid on the bed with my cheek pressed to the pillow. Feeling weak and tired from having a rumbling stomach all day. The hot bread I had for breakfast yed a part in causing its own misery. The pain had subsided and I did not feel the etching desire to throw up or the cramping of my stomach walls. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Kieran had kept me under extreme protection and even restricted my movements which pained me some times when Ithought about it. Lizzy the new maid assigned to me after Donna walked in again, this time she came with a bowl in one hand and a letter on the other hand.


    ¡°I made something hot for you, it would help with your belly and this letter came for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Lizzy,¡± I said.


    She dropped it on the table together with the bowl. I moved sluggishly out of bed to the chair just in front of the table. With the spoon in my hands, I took out a scoop of the liquid emptying it inside my mouth. My tongue felt numb but I could still taste a bit of the peppermint. I took up the letter tearing it open, it read;


    Dearest ra,


    How are you?


    I know you might probably be wondering why I had sent this. I have not seen you in days and I would admit that I miss you.


    ¡°Miss me?¡± I muttered chuckling, I read on:


    Don¡¯t worry I am doing very well too. And I am also watching over you as I promised. I want you to leave the pce ande to the spot where you met me that night. No one needs to know. And you don¡¯t have toe with the guards. There would be no need for that. I¡¯ll be waiting.


    Kieran.


    ¡°Where did you say you saw this letter again?¡± I asked Lizzy.


    ¡°Just by the doorstep. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said.


    I read it out loud again, so I could hear the words in his voice. Kieran had shown me so much in so little time. The urge to go and speak to him bubbled as I read the letter again. I wanted to feel his warm stare around me even when he thought that I was not looking. His smile closed the rift of solitude I had created around myself in the past years. I moved away from the chair, to the closet. There, I found a silk white blouse and jeans just perfect for the little adventure. Just like in the letter, I didn¡¯t tell anyone when or where I had gone to. After all, it was Kieran I was going to see.  No one would be punished.


    I got to the spot exactly where I had found him that night. Although it looked a bit different in day time but Kieran wasn¡¯t there. Instead, some men walked out from behind the tree.


    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± I asked as I turned to run back but they had already surrounded me.


    ¡°Hey chick. Love those curved booty,¡± one of the guys said. He walked closer moving his hands to grab my ass.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I shrieked.


    But instead they allughed.


    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t like her ass being grabbed lets try the boobs instead,¡± another guy said rushing for my boobs.


    ¡°Stop please,¡± I threw his hand off.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to have fun? What are you doing here then?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry if I disrupted anything but I just came to meet someone here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you came to meet us. ra right?¡±


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important,¡± one of the guys rushed in on me but I moved backwards hitting him hard.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± He cussed holding his chin, ¡°You bitch, you are going to regret ever doing that.¡±


    They began to move closer as I retraced my step backwards searching for a perfect time to run but that seemedimpossible as they were everywhere.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± I had already began to feel the tightening in my chest. The one that felt like my heart would suddenly seize because it has been racing too much. As they drew closer, I saw them clearly


    They had shabby hair with dirt on their faces. The man in front of me wore only a sarong and a tattered shirt grinding a piece of stick with his teeth. Then, he grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Let her be! She is with me.¡± I heard from the distance. It was Kieran.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The guy asked moving forward slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m someone you don¡¯t want to mess with. You better stay back if you don¡¯t want to lose your heads.¡±


    One guy whispered in his ear and then he stopped for a while.


    ¡°Oh the Lycan King. I see, you own the fancy pce. We better not see you around here againdy,¡± the man said to me. Then he turned to the other guys,  ¡°Lets go guys.¡±


    He said moving backwards slowly. Kieran held my hands as we walked out. The guys at the back stood for a while before going back to the corner they had crawled out from.


    ¡°What we¡¯re you doing in the woods?¡± Kieran nearlyscreamed as soon as we walked into the pce.


    ¡°You sent a letter asking me to meet you there.¡±


    ¡°What letter?¡± He sounded confused.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I paused, ¡°You didn¡¯t send that letter did you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No ra, I didn¡¯t send any letter.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on? I asked rhetorically. There was only one person that could answer that.

 Chapter SEVENTY- THREE: DIGGING DEEP

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t send that note then who did?¡± I asked.


    He paused for a while as we walked down to his chambers, ¡°have you ever thought that maybe the note wasn¡¯t really for you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Just saying,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe we could have asked the men. Yeah, now that I think of it why didn¡¯t we even ask them?¡±


    ¡°And you think that they would just give a response without a fight? Those guys are from other packs. As a king, I can¡¯t justunch an attack on them, that would be causing war within tow kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°So who the hell is doing this?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I faced Kieran again as soon as we got to his chambers hoping that he would have an answer for me. Just something that would help me wave away all the mysteries that had began to send thrills down my body. Whenever I was left alone to ponder in my thoughts or wonder alone in the pce, the goose bumps would appear on my neck as it felt as though someone was watching me. But instead, he sat there watching the books on his table with the same look he had all day; the one that signified that he had no idea on what was going on and I hated that he had that look.


    Ever since I got to the Pce, he had always been the one with the ns. He always had a way of figuring it all out. With the stream of calmness I find in his eyes and the most soothing words that tend to escape his lips whenever he spoke. Even without a further assurance, I knew that everything would be fine and eventually, it was never the opposite. I loved that about him, pointing out the questions to proffer solution when there seem to be none, what could we be missing? What puzzle was left unturned? Maybe that was how he did it with the people. I never really understood.


    ¡°Something is definitely going on here,¡± his words pulled me from my thoughts. As he spoke, his eyes did not leave the study table.


    ¡°Yes, and whatever it is, it is not good for me.¡±


    He chuckled and still did not look away from the pile of books thatid in front of him. At first, I wasn¡¯t bothered about it because he always had his way of revealing his goofy character at a very odd time.


    ¡°This person is trying to kill me. Do you think Ryan had sent another spy to town?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ryan? Oh no, he wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Well, I still think its him. I mean who else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he would have some guts sending someone here after everything.¡±


    ¡°He really do have those guts because I can¡¯t think of anyone else. And you don¡¯t know Ryan, he is very stubborn and doesn¡¯t give up until he has what he wants,¡± I rubbed my arms to ease the tension that grew within me as my mind still felt vacant to what was going on.


    ¡°Or perhaps, we could just be over thinking it,¡± Kieran said and finally looked up.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just some kind of misunderstanding that we are yet to get our heads wrapped around.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that this could be some sort of ident?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t be wrong about that.¡±


    I scoffed and walked to a distance. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell what feelings was growing. Kieran could have been kidding, it would been much better if he was. To think that he was not being serious having the thoughts that I would actually make things up would have been a much more understanding feeling.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really got to be kidding me,¡± I finally said after waving off tons of words that could have sprung up a lot of drama between us.


    ¡°What?¡± He shrugged, ¡°I might be right, you might just be putting things where there is none. If a whole town is against me, this would be the least of the things my mind would have cooked up.¡±


    ¡°How can you even think that any of this could be an ident or a coincidence?¡±


    He exhaled finally leaving the chair as he approached me, ¡°I never said it was an ident or a coincidence. I¡¯m only saying we shouldn¡¯t rule out other options as well you know.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m telling you that someone pushed me down the stairs that day and right now, I could have been dead if you didn¡¯t catch me and you telling me shits,¡± I scoffed.


    I just couldn¡¯t ce that he would even think that. Could he be in on it too? I watched him again but Kieran was too much of an arrogant king to want to sumb to the wish of Ryan or anyone else. If he wanted something, he never minced words nor hide under the guise of anyone. He went all put to get what he wanted.


    ¡°I know that you have been going through a lottely. I mean what you have gone through is enough to make someone begin to see or imagine things.¡±


    ¡°Oh God Kieran, you are so unbelievable. Now I¡¯m seeing things?¡±


    ¡°Just listen to me,¡± he reached for my hand and I pulled away just immediately, his touch irked me.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that someone is out to get me? And all you can point out from all this is that I could be seeing things? You know what? I can¡¯t have this conversation with you right now. I¡¯m going back to my room. Maybe by morning, that¡¯s if I¡¯m still alive and well, we would have this conversation maybe by then, you would reason with me.¡±


    ¡°Stop ra, you are overthinking this.¡±


    ¡°Good night Kieran.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I can make arrangements for you toe back to my chambers.¡±


    ¡°You are a joker,¡± I eyed him.


    As much as I wanted to stay back and banter words, trying with every inch of me to convince Kieran, I knew that I didn¡¯t have much time.


    The recent happenings wasn¡¯t anything close to an ident or a coincidence, I wish Kieran could see this any sooner. I knew somewhere deep down, he believed me and wanted to help but he needed more proof and I was going to show him. There was someone out there lurking in the dark and waiting for a perfect time to strike again. This person knew just the right time tounch an attack. Whoever it was, was close and knew a lot about me and the pce. This person had the time to gather much information to plot a perfect n and this scared me.


    The more I waited the more I gave room for a perfectly cooked and nned attack on me. I was in danger. I needed to find out who wanted me dead, well, Ryan was the one and only suspect but just as he had done before, he wouldn¡¯t daree to town on his own. He would likely send a spy or perhaps someone who was a friend of the town and he had finally turned the person against the town just to have ess to me. I didn¡¯t know, just couldn¡¯t ce it yet. All I knew was that I was alone in this at least till Kieran see it the way that I did. I knew that he cared for me, I just didn¡¯t know why yet but he did and it warmed my heart to know that there was someone looking out for me.


    As soon as I arrived at my room the thoughts in my mind made me pace around for a while. If I needed to find the culprit then I needed to know who was new in town. And if I wanted to know that, then there are some questions that I should be asking.

 Chapter SEVENTY- FOUR: FINDING IT ALL OUT

    ¡°I have a n,¡± I said as soon as Kieran opened the door for me.


    ¡°ra, you need to go back to bed. How can you be walking in the hallway during ck out and you don¡¯t expect things to lurk around and attack you?¡±


    ¡°If the person wanted to attack, then the person would have done that since. Maybe the person is nning something more horrible. Something that could actually take me out this time without no trace back. Like a clean attack.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure of that? And you are beginning to sound really paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to hear me out or not?¡± I folded my arms.


    He exhaled and paved a way through the door as I entered,  ¡°Alright spill.¡±


    ¡°Well, since I got back to my room, I have not had a moment of peace. I have been thinking about everything. Whoever is doing this is definitely here in the pce right?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± his tone wasn¡¯t what I had expected but I didn¡¯t relent in what I wanted to say.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Ryan that is actually doing all of this, then, he would not do it on his own. Like he would send someone.¡±


    ¡°Where are you driving at this?¡± he rxed on the bed but I still kept pacing around not minding what he might think of me.


    ¡°Well, after what happened thest time, he would not just send in any one to spy. That wouldn¡¯t be a smart move. We would notice easily.¡±


    ¡°Okay, now I see where you are going with this. So you think that your little Alpha boyfriend would prefer to send someone to the pce instead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and since you said not everyone gets ess into the pce then maybe, this supposed spy might be guised as a guard or a maid, you know. Someone who would have a reason to work at the pce. Who would be avable during the day to push me down the stairs or to drop that note by the door.¡±


    I watched Kieran for response before I would continue but he said nothing only looking out into the nothingness on his in wall. He might not have his words at the moment, but I knew that whatever I was saying somehow made sense to him. And all I needed to do was to push further.


    ¡°Look, I know that everyone must pass through your screening process and so you know every guard and maid working in this pce, but what if somehow this person bypassed the process? Ever thought of that?¡±


    He rose from the bed as if I had finally struck a nerve, ¡°You might be right,¡± he said. And those were the exact words that I needed to hear.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± I felt the flutter in my stomach with my cheek rising in a wide grin as I had been drawn a step closer to where my answersid.


    ¡°So what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°I wasing to that,¡± I smiled, ¡°You have to organize a review, like a roll call of all the guards and the maids that work in the pce. We need to make ount of all of them and whoever doesn¡¯t fit just right then that¡¯s the culprit or at least our suspect. We need to start from somewhere.¡±


    I rubbed my hands together generating heat in the midst of the cold night air.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that we are finally getting a hang of this. Maybe we can even start tonight. Yes, that would be perfect. The person would not even see iting.¡±


    Kieran walked closer to me and ced his hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°I know that this can be scary. I mean going through shits that you can¡¯t wrap your head around. And trust me, we are going to figure it all out. But right now, everyone is fast asleep and I think you should get some rest yourself. Then tomorrow, we can look at this again. With a better view and perhaps we would be able to see loopholes before we can even make the list.¡±


    ¡°And what if while we sleep, the person strikes again? And this time, you aren¡¯t there to catch me or save me?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you are overworking yourself on this. Calm down, while you are here working your head the person might probably be fast asleep right now. Resting his or her brain. You should rest yours too.¡±


    ¡°I still feel like this is the right time to act. That way, we can make use of the fact that we are steps ahead. The person won¡¯t see using.¡±


    He exhaled forcefully looking directly into my eyes and I didn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°I promise you, as early as possible in the morning, we begin. All I need from you now is to have a good night rest. We would figure this out.¡±


    I took a deep breath as I stared into his eyes, he was right, I really did needed to sleep. Maybe everything would turn out to be a nightmare like some past memory.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And my offer still stands,¡± he giggled.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°You can spend the night here in my chambers,¡± he winked.


    ¡°Oh God Kieran,¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll pass on this one.¡±


    The next morning there was a knock on the door, Kieran had decided to have an early morning breakfast. I was all up and ready for the day, if everything went as nned, then we would finally narrow our search and get whoever was behind this. I hated the thrills from the anticipation. The fact that it gave me hope was exhausting and if it doesn¡¯t work as I had nned then I would go back to the way that it all started. Tarnished hopes with a much angry culprit. Thest thing I wanted was to anger my anonymous admirer who wanted me dead.


    ¡°Seriously, Kieran,¡± I said as I got to the diner.


    ¡°Something for the morning, to take your mind off everything that has been happeningtely.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ if I didn¡¯t know you well, I would say that these are all your doings to just lure me to you,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°You wish,¡± he still had the smile across his lips, ¡°well, I have made arrangements for the list,¡± he announced.


    ¡°You did what?¡± I nearly yelled but then a maid walked in and dropped more bowls on the table, it was now like a feast. Ast meal, perhaps.


    ¡°What? I thought that was what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said realising my tone, ¡°It¡¯s just that I thought that you would do this yourself or better still, let me do it.¡±


    ¡°And what is wrong if my subordinate do it?¡±


    ¡°Can you not see Kieran? Or you still think that this is just a prank. What if this so called trusted subordinate of yours is actually part of this? How can you even make such a decision? This is supposed to be discrete. Whoever is doing this might have gotten a head start by now and probably nning something next, oh fuck this! You just don¡¯t see it do you?¡± I mmed my hands against the table.


    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± He asked.


    At a point like that, food did not add up to the list of the things that I needed at that moment. Something was wrong I could feel it and Kieran¡¯s nonchnt behaviour only made me feel worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room at least I feel a lot safer there.¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. This is not just any subordinate, it¡¯s Alex my beta. Maybe you can finally get to meet him¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out of here,¡± I said as I walked out of the diner while the guards and the maids watch me disrespect their king. The happenings that had been going on in the Pce with Kieran being solely involved made him feel closer. He always provided  a solution to everything when there was none and a shoulder to lean on when it all seemed adamant. This made me see him more like a friend, although I couldn¡¯t consider him that in his presence because his arrogance wouldn¡¯t allow a space and time for that.


    The door of my room shook vigorously in its hinges as I closed it behind me.


    ¡°Kieran was never discrete. He always likes to do it his way,¡± I scoffed. There was knock on the door and then I stormed down to it, ¡°who the fuck is that?!¡± I asked rhetorically opening it to the least expected sight. Indeed Kieran always had his ways.

 Chapter SEVENTY- FIVE: BREAKFAST IN A TROLLEY

    Right there stood one of the maids with a food trolley in front of her. She had the brightest of smiles on her lips which somehow took the lines out of my forehead.


    ¡°From the King,¡± She said immediately handing me a note. It read: I¡¯m sorry about breakfast. Hope this adds up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Thest time I had gotten a note that was from the king, it hadn¡¯t ended well for me but this one was different. It had the stamp of the pack symbol and only Kieran had that. I smiled back as soon as I sighted the stamped seal on the note and then the maid pulled the trolley in with the meal.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take it up from here,¡± I said still staring at the note as a smile creeped on my lips. What was that I felt? Warmth? Could Kieran possibly care about me the way that I now thought he did? I scoffed as thoughts clouded my head, then I threw in a berry in my mouth and crunched down on it the same time I realised that the maid still stood there.


    ¡°Why are you just standing there staring? Or did Kieran ask for a feedback?¡±


    ¡°No mydy, I just wanted to make sure that you¡¯ve taken a bite and you loved it just in case the king asks.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s lovely but he would have done better, go tell your king that,¡± I chuckled taking a bite of the jam-spread toast. It sure did taste nice.


    ¡°Okay, enjoy,¡± She giggled as she walked out. Somehow, I found it a bit weird for a maid that I had never met before, or have I? Just then, it clicked, I rushed back towards the door but did not find her there or anywhere around the hallway, it was though she had just disappeared.


    As the thoughts came running in my head scanning my head of where I had seen that face. She had looked so jovial than the first time I had seen her by the diner when she served Kieran and I. And now, she was here right in my room. Just then, I took up the note and looked at it for a while. My eyes did not leave the stamp. I had seen that stamp before, not in Kieran¡¯s study table but there in the room. I had read through a note that had it before perhaps a while ago.


    I rushed through the drawer as I searched for something simr, the first note that Kieran had ever given me. It was the exact one I thought about. It had a simr stamp but something was off about the one that she had given me. As I ran my fingers across the stamp the ink came out which was not the same thing for the first one that Kieran had given me before. There was definitely something off, I had felt it in my gut the very first moment that I had opened that door but the overwhelming anger for Kieran¡¯s unconcerned nature hadn¡¯t made me notice.


    I stared at it for a while longer. Just then, I noticed the tips of my fingers, they shook and I had no control over or was it my eyes that shook. I stared back to the trolley with the food and it was as though that there were two trolleys there. Something was definitely wrong. Either the trolleys had somehow be a duo or, I had suddenly began to have double vision.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I muttered as I watched my hands shaking very much now, my eyes felt hurt and could no longer hold any image. Something warm ran down my nose. I wiped my hands over, it was a mixture of the blue ink and a reddish fluid- blood. It didn¡¯t take me long enough to realise_ after I felt my throat tightening that I was actually dying and probably gasping myst breaths.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I sprung up from the bed and as I tried to move, It was as though I had no legs just two dry logs fixed to my torso. They staggered until I crashed down on the trolley as the dishes and the food fell on me. I couldn¡¯t understand what the hell was going on, my body had a mind of its on and I was left to feel the pains.


    Whatever was going on in my body was happening so fast. Too fast to think of anyway to call for help. If Kieran had a way of knowing that I was in danger, I hoped so much that he would sense my pains and helplessness but if not, then I would be gasping myst breath in the next minute. But in the next minute, the door swung open and Kieran and some unfamiliar faces rushed towards me. Indeed, we shared a simr mind.


    ¡°ra! ra, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Kieran asked. He fled from the door as he tried to pull me up and for the first time, my body somehow overpowered his because it refused to move. As I opened my mouth my speak, I only heard the sounds of gurgles from my throat, it was like I choked on my words. I could only wince that¡¯s was the only sound I could understand. It seemed like every hair on my skin inflicted a pain of its own.


    ¡°Th.. the¡­ maid¡­ maid¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°What maid? Alex send for the doctor immediately,¡± Kieranmanded and the man beside him dashed pit just immediately.


    ¡°I should have listened to you,¡± he kept saying.


    The more time passed the more I lost my body to whatever now took control of it. It was like I was there but then, I wasn¡¯t. I watched through my eyes like a hole while everything around was pitch ck. I was stuck in a void. My bodyid their while my extremities shook.


    ¡°She is having a seizure,¡± I heard one of the men say. Alex had arrived with him. He seemed to be the expert as everyone paved way for him including Kieran.


    ¡°Who did this?¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°She got me, she finally got me,¡± I managed to bloat out before the lights got really dim and then it all went dark and silent. And a moment of peace followed. True peace.


    All my life, I had craved only for peace. Ever since I watched my parents being dragged away from me. I have longed to be in their care again and to have nothing else in the world to worry my silly head about. To live in a world where no feeling mattered  not even love just peace and quiet. The kind I had now. I never knew that I would finally reach the peak of this peace on my death bed, such irony. It remained so for as long as I hoped.


    Until gradually, the first beep banged in my ear as it spanned in my head and then there was another. After the third, I knew just that it was not going to end anytime soon and so I needed to wrap my banging head around it. As the sound came, so did the lights follow. I couldn¡¯t have imagined how long I was out but I still had my memories. I knew that if I had ended up in the hospital then I would see the lights from the bulbs and the walls and even the chairs and the nurses just as I had seen it all in the past. But a white light, that was all there was.


    ¡°She is awake, make the call,¡± I heard an unfamiliar voice.


    Why was I seeing nothing and why has my lips refused to move?

 Chapter SEVENTY- SIX: THE POISON IVY

    I justid there hoping that it was another dream but it wasn¡¯t, my ears could still pick up the noises from the shuffling of feet to the clings of the metal dishes. With the scents, I knew that I was at a hospital from the smell of the antiseptics and the pungent odour of drug mixtures but something still didn¡¯t add up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°She is awake, thank goodness,¡± and then there came a much familiar voice, Kieran, I didn¡¯t know if he was the perfect person to take up all the me for what had happened. If only he had listened and been more discrete perhaps this person wouldn¡¯t have won.


    ¡°ra, I¡¯m so sorry for all that happened to you. But I¡¯m d that you are awake maybe you can identify who did this to you and then we can finally get justice.¡±


    I wanted to call to him and tell him all that had happened but the words just didn¡¯t leave my head. I couldn¡¯t do anything to signify that I could hear him. Even if the culprit still had a familiar face that I still couldn¡¯t remember, I could identify her amongst the maids. Her grin still lingered in my head. Maybe she was working for Ryan. I wanted to tell him to go to Ryan, he would have the answers to whatever he needed to know.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but she can¡¯t hear you,¡± the other voice said.


    Why did he say that?


    I can hear him, I wished he could know that I could hear him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± He spoke again.


    ¡°Can we talk in my office?¡± The voice asked.


    ¡°No, tell me what is it? You said she would live and you would do everything to make her okay, what is all this now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but we couldn¡¯t take the poison out.¡±


    ¡°What poison?¡±


    He signed, ¡°Is she your spouse? Perhaps your mate?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I mean no¡­ I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s not what is important now.¡±


    ¡°I just want to know your rtionship with her so that we can document everything.¡±


    ¡°Well she is a friend, her name is ra¡± he finally admitted.


    I could have traded a fortune to see his face as he said that. I never thought that he would admit that. Maybe perhaps, I would never see his face again.


    ¡°Well, your friend, ra is in a very critical condition. She has been poisoned. And I don¡¯t think that there is much that we can do.¡±


    ¡°You are the best at what you do especially dealing with poisons why is this any different?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this is not just any poison, this is the poison of the ck wolfs bane ivy, there is no cure. Right now, we don¡¯t even know how long she had left to live.


    ¡°Doctor, I still don¡¯t understand all this that you are saying.¡±


    ¡°The poison affects the main part in a bodywork which is the central nervous system. It brings down every part of the brain that regtes each senses. And then affects the spinal cord so the victim is paralysed. You can¡¯t move a limb, you can¡¯t move a muscle. The person is as good as dead.¡±


    Good as dead? No, it can¡¯t end like this, not this way, not when that culprit is walking around freely. What if another person is harmed? As my thoughts rose, I heard the beeping from the machine increase a bit and the voices stopped. Instead I heard the footstep approach me for while before going back again.


    ¡°Thatdy lying down there has a strong spirit.  No one with the poison of the ck wolfs bane ivy in their veins has survived this long.¡±


    ¡°You know, she warned me about this. She told me that someone was after her life but I was too nonchnt about the whole thing. We were going to find out about this the day that she was poisoned. There must be a cure, anything at all, I¡¯m  willing to go any length at the moment to make sure that she is fine.¡±


    Did Kieran just say that? Did he actually care this much for a ve girl?


    ¡°Luckily, there is a way to contain this poison.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best news I have heard in weeks. What¡¯s this way?¡± He sounded relieved.


    ¡°This poison wolf¡¯s bane ivy is a very rare nt and so whoever poisoned your friend here really took a lot of time to n this attack.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°Well, for a king, I think that there are things that you should have been told. Especially things about such a poison.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t me me. I¡¯m a modern king,¡±


    ¡°Anyway, this nt is one of the rarest in the this part of the world. It grows amongst a wild range of other nt. You can only find just one of it in a forest. It is a shy nt and likes to be alone. All it has is a stem containing its sap which is the poison and then a leaf. If any part is detached, then the other part must go with it.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand ¡±


    ¡°There is a myth that says that if the sap of the nt which is the poison is ingested, the leaf will only die off if the victim dies but if the leaves juice is given to the victim, making the poison sap and the leaf juice to be in one body, then, the person might live. All I¡¯m saying is that, whoever poisoned your friend, will likely be with the cure to her illness.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, this means I have to find this person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, find that leaf and bring it here. We would take out the juice from it and make an antidote for your friend. That¡¯s the only way to get the cure.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I need to get going now.¡±


    ¡°But be warned, her body can only hold on for a while. If she dies, the leaf dies and there is no bringing her back. You better hurry.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t dead, not yet but this wasn¡¯t living either. Being trapped in a void where all that you¡¯ve got are your ears and your mind left to wonder in a realm that you only exist, no one else does. You can¡¯t feel the cosiness of your bed after the long day or have a taste of crunchy kes or a good bread. And with the good,es also the bad. Maybe this was for the best. Not having to spend the nights in Kieran¡¯s chamber because something or someone was out there to haunt. I didn¡¯t like what I had be. Such vulnerability, I used to be stronger bit everything including the will to fight and the zeal to ovee has been taken away from me.


    If I was to live again, then I would have just one mission, to stab whoever had done this to me directly in the heart so that they would feel the pain that I felt and the one which I was currently going through.


    I knew Kieran would find whoever was responsible for this  at whatever length or cost that he was willing to go but what I had no idea about was how fast. I had no idea if he would arrive the very moment that I would be taking myst breath. I didn¡¯t know what void I found myself but all I knew was that the doctor was right. I didn¡¯t have much left, my strength was failing and I felt life being dragged away from me, slowly. I was losing my edges just as if a cobra would lose its venom or the lion would lose its teeth.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I heard Kieran¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You can go in and see her,¡± a female voice echoed and then I heard the creaks like a door was pulled opened and then shuffling feet on the ground. There were more noises that I could not actually ce at the time but I felt a presence closer to me after all the noises. He sat close.


    ¡°Hey, I know you are in there. I hope that you can hear me,¡± he took up my hand. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were warm like the night that he held my hands when he dragged me out of the woods. Or cold like the other day in his chambers. The numbness ruled, a feeling that I was beginning to get used to.

 Chapter SEVENTY- SEVEN: TRAPPED IN A VOID

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had much sleep ever since you were poisoned,¡± he began without hearing everything he had to say, I already felt lobed. His presence meant a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy how I can¡¯t wrap my head around anything. The doctor said that I should hurry but I don¡¯t know what else to do. It crazy right? For a king to be clueless. Yes, it happens. Much often than you could think but our pride wouldn¡¯t let us run to anyone¡¯s arms,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°I know you would be probably wondering why I haven¡¯t approached Ryan yet but from my investigation from a distance, he has no hand in this. Its surprising though. He should have had a hand in it maybe it would be a lot easier to just get the cure from him. But I¡¯m here doing nothing because I don¡¯t have an idea what this is and it scares me when I have no idea what is happening.¡±


    He paused for a while and then continued.


    ¡°I mean I¡¯m the Lycan king I should have ideas about everything right? Well I thought so too. But this is different. I¡¯m tempted to say I need you on this,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°You know earlier I said that I wish you could hear me well, I take back my words I wish you can¡¯t hear that. You would actually think we are friends. You know you were right about the culprit being in the pce. There is something actually going on there. After you were taken to the hospital I went through your room and found the note. I have ordered that no one leaves the pce so that the culprit would not leave so whoever did this is probably still there.¡±


    Then he leaves my hand.


    ¡°If only you could talk or maybe see again this would be a lot easier for us all. You could have just told us or identified who this person is. But I guess the poison is eating deep into you now. Everyday that I¡¯m here watching this machine beep and knowing that you are only able to breath through machines it irks me you know. Yeah, surprising it does. I cannot just sit and watch you die. I can¡¯t. Not again. I cant watch someone else just die again not under my watch,¡± he sniffed.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was crying but his words were touching.


    ¡°I need to do something and think I have the perfect idea for this. You see, talking to you has made me realise what I should do. You always really do know what to do. I wish that I would have done something much sooner to save your life. I can¡¯t turn the hands of time but I assure you. I would make this right.¡±


    He sighs, ¡°I miss you ra and I promise you that I¡¯m going to bring whoever did this to justice. Remember Alex, my beta, I told you about has been really helpful and has also devoted himself to finding this dangerous person in my kingdom. We can¡¯t have that person walking around freely in town. Not anymore. I have to go now, hang in there. I will be back,¡± he pecked my hands and then left it back on the bed. I heard the screeching of the stool and some shuffling before the creaks. But before it went back to just the beeps, I heard muffled voices from a distance.


    They said watching a person about to die brings up a part of someone that no one knew was buried within. A mushy feeling, one that felt everything all at once as the person would not be sure that this person they look out to would survive. At the point of vulnerability where the person on the sick bed might survive or not, it is  usually a difficult and very trying time for whoever was sitting by the bedside and watching. To watch someone die, every breath being dragged away from the person as you just sit and wait.


    Maybe this was how Kieran felt. It was either this or he actually really cared about me and hated to see me like that. I couldn¡¯t tell because there wasn¡¯t much different to the feeling. All I wished for at the time, was to be able to see his face again. Perhaps maybe this time, we could be better friends if we both let our prides aside. I had tried every means not to go too close to Kieran. To avoid the proximity like how it had been with Ryan.


    But it was like the more I tried, the more this force between us disappeared while a much external force pulled us together. There was always something happening that would make us to be at each others side. To spend time tackling what problem that was at hand. And just like every other time, the problem was a person. The only difference was that it was an undisclosed person that even Kieran couldn¡¯t seem to know.


    I can still remember her face. I didn¡¯t want to forget. Those eyes underneath that grin, they were so clear. The answer that we all needed was right there if only I could remember where I had once seen that face. Something just didn¡¯t add up yet. All I was sure about was that I had seen that face before. I never forget a face. Not a face that had made an impact in my life whether good or bad.


    Whoever this person was only came for revenge. This cannot be Ryan. It isn¡¯t one of his works. Apart from Kieran confirming it, I knew Ryan too well to identify his footprints. Ryan wouldn¡¯t want me dead and just throw away the opportunity of being the most powerful werewolf ever. He was too selfish for that. But the instinct of this person was solely pure and very much ring. A clear intention to hurt me, who would want that?


    Think ra. Think. Who would want you dead? Those eyes. That grin when I took up that berry. I had seen those pinning stares somewhere. Why does my brain refuse to remember?


    My mind felt like it had began a marathon and so I heard the beeping again, this time, a lot more faster than it was before. The face wasing to me. I could ce it now. Somewhere in Ryan¡¯s Manor. Someone that I might have hurt directly or indirectly.


    Oh yes!


    Those were the same eyes I had seen in my room in Ryan¡¯s Manor. The one that had stared at me before hugging Madam Ann and zooming off in that car. Those were the eyes of Patricia. How can I forget?  She might have changed a few things about herself but those eyes still remained the same. The one that longed for something that she couldn¡¯t have but wanted it all the same. Her obsession for Ryan still hadn¡¯t changed even if she knew I had nothing with Ryan.


    How could she?! What sort of feelings does she have for a man that she would want to harm me? I wished I could inform Kieran that I had finally figured it out. I wished I could tell him that it was a maid. The same maid I had always suspected to see her face somewhere in the past. The very one that had served us our meals a couple of times. Our lives where literally in her hands. I guess she was just waiting for the right time to strike. And when she found it, she didn¡¯t hesitate.


    As my mind wandered, the beeping increased. It was like the more I discovered the more I used up whatever life was left in me. I heard the sounds of shuffling feet but this was that of not just one or two persons.


    The light I could see had began to be a lot dim as the machine beeped a lot louder and even faster. Distorted loud noises filled my ear as the light began to disappear. I head throbbing feet. It was like I was surrounded by people.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Someone said, I could tell who.


    ¡°She is unstable. I think we are losing her,¡± I heard the voice of the doctor.


    The pains had resumed and the beeps had suddenly be muffled. Was this how it felt to be dying? I was losing control over my own mind. The poison might have found me here. Kieran would be toote because my body already felt too weak. I couldn¡¯t hold on anymore longer than a few seconds. The lights faded away more quickly than it did before.


    ¡°Her heart rate is going way too high.¡±


    ¡°Doctor we are losing time.¡±


    ¡°Get the defibritor. Get ready,¡± I heard the voices.


    ¡°Charge. Clear¡­.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The voices were very much muffled and so were the beeps. The lights disappeared. Finally it all went numb. And then silent. Like a dark silent hole. Could this be death?

 Chapter SEVENTY- EIGHT: ALEX DID ALL THE WORK

    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out but I could barely hear my voice.


    ¡°ra, oh my goodness, you are awake.¡±


    The guy said as he sprung up from the chair but it wasn¡¯t Kieran, it was someone else. Much younger with a blonde.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I managed to ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m Alex. I¡¯ll get the doctor to check you out and also inform the Alpha.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even wait a second more as he dashed out of the room. And in a minute he returned with a doctor and Kieran. As the doctor examined me, Kieran just stood there in a corner. He whispered something in Alex¡¯s ear and he exited the room at once. The doctor smiled back at me after the examination.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Kieran asked moving forward.


    ¡°She is doing just great. Like I said, your friend here has a very strong spirit.¡±


    ¡°Her name is ra and she is just an acquaintance.¡±


    I turned my head slowly on the pillow to catch a glimpse of him.


    An acquaintance. So that was what he saw me as. T least now I had an idea of what he saw me as.


    ¡°Can I talk to her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure go ahead,¡± the doctor patted him on his shoulder and he walked away.


    ¡°At least you considered me an acquaintance,¡± I said.


    ¡°ra¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh God my head hurts,¡± I winched as I tried to adjust, ¡°My head feels nk. I can¡¯t remember anything that happened.¡±


    ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m happy that you can¡¯t,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°What goofy trick are you putting up or perhaps have already put up now?¡±


    ¡°Trust me its not a trick.¡±


    I exhaled staring at the ceiling, ¡°it¡¯s like I had this crazy dream,¡± I grunted, ¡°Kieran, I think I died.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that?¡±


    ¡°Well, If you did, the doctor wouldn¡¯t have been able to save you.¡±


    ¡°What really happened? All I can remember is that I received a note from you the next thing, I¡¯m here. But somehow this weird dream keepsing up.¡±


    ¡°What dream?¡±


    ¡°Like I was in a void. It was so dark.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor but I don¡¯t advise that you stress your head too much trying to remember a poison induced dream.¡±


    ¡°Poison?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the doctor said that you were poisoned with the wolfs bane Ivy sap. The deadliest. I needed to get the antidote. It took me a while. I thought that I wouldn¡¯t make it on time,¡± he exhaled a sigh of relief, ¡°but luckily I did.¡±


    ¡°Did you find the culprit?¡±


    He looked away for a while, like it was some horrible experience that he didn¡¯t wish to remember but somehow he had to say it because I needed to know that going back would be a lot more safer.


    ¡°Watching you lying there made me realize that you were right all along. And I had a very dangerous person walking around in my pce. Asides that, I needed to find this person to be able to get the cure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I know the myth of the poison ivy,¡± I said. It was an old tale that my father always told me as a bedtime story. He always told storied that would be useful in times of war. My mother always thought that it was a violent thing to do; telling a war tale to a child as a bedtime story. But at some point in my life, I was d that he did.


    ¡°I guess I was the only one not paying close attention to old myth tales,¡± he chuckled, ¡°anyway, at first it was hard but then, I went on with your ns and got the list of all the maids that I had hired. The culprit was smart and so it was hard at first, but there was always a loophole and after going through it for a while, I found it. There was a name that didn¡¯t add up. I asked Alex to look into it and he did. He found out that the maids name was¡­.¡±


    ¡°Patricia,¡± I called out.


    ¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°I told you that I had seen that face somewhere. But I just couldn¡¯t ce it.¡±


    ¡°But finding her didn¡¯t solve anything.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She slit her own throat rather than to give up the location of the antidote.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Patricia is dead?¡±


    ¡°That should be good news to you. I can¡¯t help but wonder what happened between the both of you that she would choose to take her own life than to give up the antidote?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. What happened to Patricia is a perfect definition of love obsession.¡±


    ¡°Who was she obsessed with?¡±


    ¡°Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see now.¡±


    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t entirely me her. Apart from the part that Ryan is not bad looking. They have been best friend even before I came into the picture. Well we all thought Ryan was in love with me. Although I know better now. It was more like I stole the attention from her. He would scold her and warn her to stay away from me. I guess it only grew the anger and hatred that she already had.¡±


    ¡°Which was?¡±


    I exhaled, ¡°being with Ryan was a lot different from staying at the pce. Everything was different for me including my pattern of living. And so I was rebellious. Somehow my behaviour brought me closer to Ryan. At that time, I thought it was a good thing. I never knew that Ryan was only keeping me safe for a purpose. Such betrayal.¡±


    ¡°At least I witnessed that one.¡±


    ¡°Well, one day she just up and left the manor. Maybe she found out that I was here in town and decided that this was the perfect time to enact her revenge on me. And she chose the most poisonous substance to do the dirty work.¡±


    ¡°And somehow you survived. What a love triangle. A very sad one. She is dead now. I don¡¯t think that there is anything you should worry about.¡±


    ¡°Well, if she haven¡¯t killed herself, maybe, I would have done it myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh slow down angel,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°So how did you find the antidote and save my life?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Alex did. He is smart and skilful. I think that¡¯s what attracted me to him in the first ce. He saved your life not me. I was busy with other things,¡± he moved his eyes away.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Where is Alex now? I would love to thank him.¡±


    ¡°Probably doing one of his businesses. Well if you ask me I would say you saved yourself.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone under the influence of the ivy poison wouldst a day. You bought us time. You bought Alex more time to find you your antidote. Time was all was needed, so technically you saved yourself.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. But I¡¯m curious though. Why do you keep mentioning Alex? You were part of it.¡±


    ¡°Alex did all the work, I can¡¯t take credit for what I didn¡¯t do,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Oh I see,¡± I turned facing the window. I didn¡¯t know what feeling I should let in. But I knew I was happy to be able to breath again. And most of all, there was no one at the corner waiting for me to walk out of the hospital just to harm me again. At least that¡¯s what I thought.

 Chapter SEVENTY- NINE: THE GUEST

    With Patricia out of the picture and the poison finally out of my system, I knew I wouldn¡¯tst another day at the hospital. And so with the doctors approval, Kieran could take me back to the pce. And he came earlier than I had expected. In fact, I didn¡¯t expect that he woulde at all. Not after the weird conversation that we had thest time. He could have been hiding something because he certainly didn¡¯t want me to remember. I would have preferred that he had sent his supposed beta to do the job. After all, he didn¡¯t care about me. My head ached too much to think if that was true in anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that this is finally over. It feels so out of ce not to be able to figure things out. Not knowing what was going on or who was behind all of this. Well, my words still stand; I¡¯m the one and true Lycan King, it would take a whole lot of things to outsmart me.¡±


    What was it with these Alphas and arrogance? Even my Dad was not an exception.


    ¡°ra, are you okay? You haven¡¯t said a word since we left the hospital,¡± he noticed the nkness in my mood as it now matched my facial expression.


    ¡°Apart from what you already know, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±


    I could have just opened up but to what point? He never did see me as ra anyway.


    ¡°Oh please, I know that something is actually working you out.¡±


    ¡°Its nothing, you¡¯ve got to believe that. Although, I didn¡¯t expect that you woulde,¡± I said as he walked me out of the hospital.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, you seem to be letting other people do all the work these days.¡±


    ¡°Would you have preferred someone else?¡± He asked. I changed my intentions of taking my eyes off the window as I knew his eyes were on me.


    ¡°Not that I have anyone in mine.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now,¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Yeah, you are,¡± my voice had be low. I certainly didn¡¯t do a good job trying to convince him that I was fine. I was d he didn¡¯t press on.


    I still didn¡¯t take my eyes away from the window. The view could have been therapeutic if not for the fast moving cars that distracted my eyes increasing the headache. Although I still felt the emptiness of losing a few memories, but the doctor assured me that it would alle back to me. I didn¡¯t know if I wanted that. Leaving out some memory especially the one that had to do with me being poisoned. It took away some of the pain though. That emptiness, the vacant space that was there in my head where I could imnt whatever thoughts I wanted to. I would be fixing the space where a very terrible memory was resided in with a good one.


    The Pce still looked very much the same. Everyone up with their activities as usual like nothing ever happened. Or no one died just recently. I wondered what spot she could had done it. The angle that Kieran had stood with zero knowledge of the knife in her pocket or bag_ wherever she might have put it. How she might have spoken with such courage with the flicker of determination in her eyes. The agonising pain and fulfilment that would havee with splitting up the flesh of her throat. Where she could haveid gasping herst breaths with the thought that we might meet at the afterlife. But she was wrong. She had misinterpreted it just as she had done with Ryan¡¯s feelings for her. Her spirit lost in a void of vengeance and her soul roaming out of despair. I stood there, hale and hearty.


    As soon as we stepped in with Kieran walking beside me, a guard dressed like one of the pce messengers rushed towards us and handed Kieran a note. I watched as his eyes read through it.


    ¡°Ryan is here,¡± he said looking back at me.


    ¡°Ryan? What is he doing here?¡±


    That was thest name I had expected to hear so soon.


    ¡°Well, there is only one way to find out. Please take her to her room,¡± Kieran addressed the maid that assisted me in.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ming with you,¡± I pulled away from her grip.


    ¡°You are just recovering ra. Don¡¯t you think that you should avoid anything that would keep you by the edge? Like Ryan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of Ryan and besides Ryan onlyes here because of me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more reason why you shouldn¡¯t see him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to disagree on this one. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I promise I wouldn¡¯t say anything. You wouldn¡¯t even know I¡¯m there.¡±


    ¡°ra¡­¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m not a kid. I can handle my own shit and you know this. Please just let mee with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine. Always stubborn ra. Always stubborn. Just keep your distance and your mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    I followed along despite his warnings. I wasn¡¯t afraid of Ryan. I didn¡¯t know where the sudden courage sprung up from. But the near death experience might have thought me something. I was a fighter, the doctor had said it and Kieran had repeated the same words. If I needed to deal with Ryan, then I knew that I needed to face him without having a back and forth thought about it.


    ¡°ra,¡± Ryan called out as soon as he sighted me approaching him with Kieran. As I had promised Kieran, I didn¡¯t say anything and I wasn¡¯t nning on saying anything at least not yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that you are okay,¡± he made to move closer but the guards blocked his way and so he took a step back with his hands across his back. He didn¡¯t stare at me again instead, he gazed at Kieran instead.


    What did he mean about me being okay? What had he done this time?


    ¡°For someone who was dragged out of here thest time, you have such guts to return to this pce, Ryan,¡± Kieran responded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here for you. I came to see her. ra, please tell me that you are fine. That the rumours aren¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°What rumours?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± Ryan barked.


    I shouldn¡¯t speak, that was the promise I made to Kieran. And even if I wanted to say something, then at least I would like to listen to why Ryan had actuallye. To see me? That was not the main reason. It couldn¡¯t be. I swallowed forcefully as I folded my arms. Perhaps I could have listened to Kieran and stayed back in my room.


    ¡°ra is fine as you can see clearly. That¡¯s a clear indication that you failed.¡±


    ¡°Failed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ryan you failed. We saw your little spy that you sent into this pce. You should be lucky that I didn¡¯t break his neck and send you his heart as a souvenir. But I guess he passed you my message.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Ryan denied.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter EIGHTY: THE LAST LAUGH

    ¡°Oh quit the pretence. We found out that it was you. I guess it¡¯s hard for you to do something without leaving your fingerprint all over it.¡±


    ¡°You know that is not why I¡¯m here. You are just talking trash.¡±


    ¡°Yeah to see ra. I heard you first time. It¡¯s just surprising how you would want to ruin the reputation of someone that you im so much to care about,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°I would not respond to whatever it is that you have to say. If you have an issue with me, or you have something to talk about, then you cane to the manor. I guess my maids would serve you something. But if not, then I suggest that you give us privacy to talk. After all, she is not a child. She can make certain decisions for herself.¡±


    ¡°ra is under my care and protection from predators like you. If there is anything that you would want to say to her, I would suggest that you say it here and now or you can leave.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°What business do you have with ra? She isn¡¯t yours anymore. She doesn¡¯t stay with you anymore and most of all, she doesn¡¯t need you,¡± Kieran said.


    Yours? Was that the word?


    ¡°And she isn¡¯t yours either. Why did you bring her here? To kill her?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± Ryan asked.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°That you tried to kill her.¡±


    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡±


    Oh God. I didn¡¯t know where this was going. Why did Ryan always have to show himself every time?


    Seeing Ryan again didn¡¯t do much to me. But hearing him talk about me like he actually did care about me irked me. I wanted to strangle him till he begged to be freed. To transfer every anger and pain that I had gathered in the past few days and pass it all to him.


    ¡°The maid that tried to kill her with the Ivy poison. For crying out loud ra, could have died. You let this happen. This happened right under your nose. I thought that you actually did had some sort of security here. But clearly you don¡¯t. For fucks sake, you risked the life of someone. Worst of all, this person is very special to me. What do you think that I would do? Just sit and watch you allow something happen to her?¡± Ryan was defensive.


    ¡°What do you even know about protection? I didn¡¯t take ra away from you against your wish. She came to me because she didn¡¯t feel protected with you anymore. How can you not see that she doesn¡¯t want to go with you. She doesn¡¯t want you anymore. So you really need to stoping here. Or I¡¯ll be forced to tell my guards to keep you out of the Pce.¡±


    ¡°This is not about me Kieran and you know that. Things have been happening in this pce ever since ra got here. Its obvious that she isn¡¯t safe here especially not after that poison ivy got into the pce.¡±


    ¡°How can you possibly me me for that?¡± Kieran had begin to feel the impact of Ryan¡¯s words. I had expected that.


    Ryan had a n, he always does and whatever it was, Kieran had not noticed it yet. Being blind to it meant that he could probably fall for a trap if Ryan had set one.


    Ryan looked around, I knew what he was doing. That dramatic stare like he was about to say something that would hit us directly on the head.


    ¡°This is your pce is it not? You let a maid walk into your pce and poison someone you im to care about.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran chuckled, ¡°a maid?¡± Heughed some more, ¡°a maid or Patricia your girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that even supposed to mean?¡± Then he faced me, ¡°I see what have been going on here.¡±


    ¡°Or you think that I wouldn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± Ryan turned towards me, ¡°what have you been telling him. Trash? You know that it is you that I care about.¡±


    ¡°How dare youe here and pretend that you care about me?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the words as anger grew in my chest. If I didn¡¯t spill the words, then it would just keep piling up until it bes a clog in my chest and I didn¡¯t want that. I didn¡¯t want to go back to my room and regret what I would have said. Kieran would understand. He should. After all, Ryan hade to see me. At least he was right about that part.


    ¡°Of course I care about you ra. Look at you,  you look malnourished. It is obvious that you are not being properly fed. He doesn¡¯t take care of you the way that I do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with you Ryan, you think that you can own everyone. I¡¯m not yours and I was never yours. I don¡¯t know why you wouldn¡¯t just get that. In fact, I am my own person now. Here, I¡¯m treated like a queen and I¡¯m not worried about having a dagger in my chest. At least, that¡¯s enough reason to stay.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see what he is doing to you?¡±


    ¡°If anyone is to be med for what happened to me then it¡¯s you. You think you can handle everyone but you couldn¡¯t handle the person that was obsessively in love with you. It was because of you that Patricia came here to harm me. Well I¡¯m d that it is over now. At least it is all in the past now. I wouldn¡¯t be having any death threats or be scared of having foreign stuff in my food.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess whoever filled you on what was happening in this pce couldn¡¯t tell you everything. Patricia is dead and she killed herself. Took up a knife she had with her and slit her throat right out. I watched her lie on the ground with her eyes still open as she gasped for air. Blood gushing off her throat. Even if I wanted to save her, she couldn¡¯t be saved because she did it herself,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°Technically, you killed her Ryan. Just the way you intend to kill me,¡± I concluded.


    ¡°I can never hurt you. I care about you. Come back with me let us go back to the way that we used to be. This time everything would be different. I would get you a car, I¡¯ll get you everything that you so desire.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that to me Ryan. You don¡¯t get to say that. Not now, not ever. You lost the right to say such things to me the very first day you began to see me as a sacrificialmb.¡±


    ¡°But I mean it. Why are you doing this? Let me guess, because of some old myth you saw in some journals in that old office? Did I ever tell you that it was my Dad¡¯s office? Those things mean nothing.¡±


    ¡°Get out Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can we just leave this crowd and go elsewhere to talk? I miss you ra. The manor had just been a ck hoke without you.¡±


    ¡°I said get out!¡± I yelled tears formed by the side of my eyes and Kieran walked over to hold me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay ra, I¡¯ll make sure he leaves.¡±


    I chuckled as the guards pulled him out which kept everyone in awe including Kieran. I made sure to wipe my eyes before the tears would roll down my cheek.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± I called out to him again. It wasn¡¯t over yet.

 Chapter EIGHTY- ONE: A GIFT

    With the eyes on me. It was clear that everyone wanted to hear what I had to say. I wanted to tell them not to, the message was just for Ryan, as long as he heard me that was fine. That was all I needed.


    ¡°Guess what?,¡± I didn¡¯t wait for any reply, ¡°The blood moon is a few days away and I¡¯m noting back to you. I never will. Do you know what that means? It means that you have failed. Yes, you heard me right. You and whatever ns that you had up your sleeves have failed. And on that day of the blood moon, I¡¯m going to seat outside right here in this Kingdom and sip from a ss of wine looking up to the moon as I mock your loss. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. Better have that in mind.¡±


    I felt so good to get that off my chest and even better when I saw the defeat on his face. But for some reason, it didn¡¯tst long.


    He busted into a roar ofughter as I watched him. I turned to Kieran and he had the same look that I had on his face as well. It was clear that Ryan now was out of his mind.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about, ra. I guess the poison really did take some part of your sanity away. You are so hrious. I miss that about you. And do you know what else I miss about you?¡±


    ¡°Ryan,  you have no right to¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my statement before he interrupted.


    ¡°Those supple lips of yours, so sulent that I sucked them that night and your body¡­¡±


    ¡°Ryan stop,¡± I said.


    But he ignored and continued.


    ¡°¡­ so warm pressed against mine. The sweetest are your moans and the look on your face when I slid into you. Don¡¯t you miss that?¡±


    ¡°Kieran aren¡¯t you going to stop him from spilling trash?¡±


    I turned to Kieran but he already paid so much attention to Ryan. I saw the curiosity in his eyes, he also wanted to know. It was toote now. With every words that fell off his mouth, my dress tightened against my neck. The room felt hotter than it previously was as sweat popped on my skin.


    ¡°¡­ those soft caress, and the look in your eyes that you wanted me. You know it was fun, being intimate with a woman carrying another man¡¯s child. The sex feels different. Too bad the child couldn¡¯t meet me.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you Ryan! ¡± I screamed as if my voice pulled them all from a trans, the guards pulled him away but I still heard hisughter. I couldn¡¯t look at Kieran, I just turned sharply and walked away. It was clear now. I still wasn¡¯t ready to face Ryan.     An hour passed by but I knew that I would need more than just an hour to get over what had just happened. Ryan just didn¡¯t know when to stop. The one memory that I thought I had finally buried began to float again. Even when I tried to close my eyes, I could still see it. Still feel the thumps and mild kicks. I touched my belly, my eyes already felt hotter than it previously was.


    Why did Ryan have to say that?


    Just when I thought that it was all over and I would finally have peace, I had just realised that I had thought wrong.


    ¡°ra, are you there?¡±


    I heard Kieran¡¯s voice from outside. I still wasn¡¯t ready to face him. Even if he tried to hide it, I knew that he believed all that Ryan had said. He might begin to see a lot differently now and I didn¡¯t want that. I just wanted to be locked for as long as I can and rest from having a long week. But that was clearly not going to happen. I strolled towards the door hoping that he would just give up and finally leave. But when I opened the door, he just stood there.


    ¡°Hi, good morning. Were you asleep? I¡¯m sorry if I did wake you up.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I have been awake for a while now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s time for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Well, aside that I have something to show you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    He showed me his hands and I took them unsure of where we were going as he led me through the hallway.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be scared it is nothing to worry about.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say much to me and I tried not to look directly at him. The way I felt reminded me of the very first day that I hade to the pce. That ckness and uncertainty to what I was going to see. My curiosity had grown to a height the moment that he had said that it was a surprise.


    ¡°Where are we going to?¡± I asked as we walked past the exit door.


    ¡°Just outside. It isn¡¯t far anymore.¡±


    As soon as we got outside, I looked around but there was no one there, only a car. And we stopped right in front of the car. Kieran finally left my hand and took out a key from his pocket handing it to me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I reluctantly took it from his grip.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± he said.


    ¡°What? The car?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you bought me a car?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. This is the GLE Benz. One of the newest model. I will assign a driver for you if you don¡¯t know how to drive yourself.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I don¡¯t understand. Why will you buy me a car?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect that you will do this. What¡¯s the asion?¡±


    ¡°Come on, there is no asion. I felt that you needed one so I got one for you. You are not a ve here in the Pce. So this is just to tell you that you can go wherever you wish to. But from the look on your face, it seems like you are not very pleased.¡±


    ¡°I am. Believe me I am. I¡¯m just a bit surprised that¡¯s all. It has just been pack of surprises since I returned from the hospital. First Ryan and now this. I should really do well with a nap right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh Ryan. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Come,¡± he reached for my hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take you inside.¡±


    I grabbed his hand without thinking much about it and followed him back in. I could tell that he was staring at me as we walked towards my room but I just couldn¡¯t face him or ask him anything.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as soon as we got to the room. He still stood by the door while I walked in. I stared at the key again and then at him with a smile creeping across my lips.


    ¡°Thank you for this Kieran. I really love it. Can¡¯t wait to start driving around,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he stood there with his hands tucked in his pocket.


    ¡°Kieran, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I finally asked, he had the look all evening.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You can ask me whatever it is you want to ask.¡±


    ¡°And who said I wanted to¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on Kieran, I know that look.¡±


    ¡°What look?¡±


    ¡°Just spill it out already.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to spill out.¡±


    I just stared at him.


    ¡°Alright fine. I just want you to know that you are not alone. If there is anything that you want to talk about any day any time, I¡¯m here. Ever ready to listen.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s sweet Kieran. Thanks for always being there for me.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°You should take that nap now.¡±


    I exhaled. I watched Kieran as he walked out shutting the door behind him. I walked towards the door and peeped through. I wish I could tell him all about it. Exining everything in details from every contraction to the feeling that grew around me. But he wouldn¡¯t understand even a fragment of it, I thought so. I just smiled back. Just then, a guard came rushing towards him.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± he stopped in front of Kieran.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There is something you need to see,¡± he said.

 Chapter EIGHTY- TWO: AN ANGRY MOB

    I watched as the guard led Kieran on until I could no longer see anyone in the hallway. I should have stayed in and actually taken that nap that I had earlier nned on taking. But something was wrong, I could see it on Kieran¡¯s face the very second that the guards had said those words. If there was anything that was going on in the pce, then I knew that it might somehow have a kind of connection to me. I couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for Kieran to solve everything for me.


    I unlocked the door and trailed behind making sure that he didn¡¯t see me at least not until I have seen what was going on. They were going to the same spot that we had gone the day that Kieran wanted to address the people sometime ago. How could I forget? I stopped as soon as they both stopped and then Kieran whispered something to his ears. Just as he turned, I caught his eyes on me. I could have ducked just immediately but there was no other person wearing a bright dress amongst the guards.


    ¡°ra, what are you doing here?¡±


    He walked towards me. He had seen me, I left my hiding ce and approached him.


    ¡°I saw you leave with the guard. Thought there could be a problem and your look didn¡¯t say otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Well, there seem to be a problem.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite know yet. The guards was about to brief me on that before I saw you by the curtains. ra you shouldn¡¯t be here. You know what the doctor said. Don¡¯t overstress yourself until you havepleted your medications.¡±


    ¡°I know. But something is wrong and I can¡¯t just take a nap when I know that something is going on here in the pce. And you know most of the bad things happening in this pce is because of me. So just go on.¡±


    Kieran exhaled and signalled the guards as he walked towards us.


    ¡°Brief me on the situation.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know much, but there have been words among the people. And it seems like they haven¡¯t taken it lightly.¡±


    ¡°What are these words about?¡±


    ¡°An impending war. And they think that you are the one orchestrating it.¡±


    ¡°What? What sort of silly usation is that?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. They ordered that we call you out. They want to speak to you directly. My men have been able to stop them from entering the pce. We have been able to keep them calm but their patience is running out.¡±


    ¡°Then I need to speak to them. I wouldn¡¯t want this to get out no one else should hear about this. The werewolf council might take it as something else,¡± Kieran said.


    Kieran walked out towards the people and I followed behind.


    The people were standing right outside the pce. They didn¡¯t seem to be happy and they protested. Chanting words that only depicted anger. I knew that it was just the beginning of what they were capable of.


    Kieran¡¯s presence only caused the roar to be much severe. But Kieran knew just the perfect way to handle his people. He raised his hand for a few seconds and everyone wentpletely calm. It happened just like magic.


    ¡°What has brought about this protest?¡± He asked. His voice didn¡¯t quite sound the way that it usually was. Like the jovial goofy King.


    ¡°Our King, we are sure that you have heard about the rumours that has been moving around in town. We don¡¯t want to cause chaos in this town because this is our town. And you are our leader, you have led us well. All we want to know is that what we have been hearing for a while now is untrue and are just mere rumours,¡± a voice echoed from the crowd.


    ¡°Do you know the people spreading these words?¡± Kieran asked already furious.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like these words were already there. Everyone believes that it is true that is why you have refused to address this situation. Most people are already nning to leave town.¡±


    ¡°And how long has this been going on?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°For as long as we can remember. It¡¯s like the words have always been there and we are just beginning to see signs now. That is why people are beginning to believe it.¡±


    ¡°And howe I¡¯m just beginning to know about this now?¡± He turned to one of the guards and then back at the people as another man spoke up.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Please our king, we don¡¯t mean to upset you or disrespect your reign but all we need is assurance. You are our king and we have nothing but upmost respect for you. Please we need to be sure that we are protected. And if this rumour is somehow true, do not start up an impending war. It would only bring destruction amongst us, your people.¡±


    ¡°As disheartening as this sounds that you a will believe that I would want to risk your lives for my selfish gain, I understand your plight. But I¡¯m not here to give you any assurance as what you choose to believe is your choice. All I want to tell you is that these are false and I¡¯m going to find out whoever is behind this. And if you are the one doing this and you can hear my voice, just know that I¡¯m going to find you and kill you.¡±


    With those words, he walked back in. I caught his eyes but immediately he took them away.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I followed behind but he had called the attention of his guards giving them instructions tomence the search of the spies. This was Ryan, I could tell. At time like this, I felt bad that my presence had brought chaos to his town and now his people had began to turn against him. The guards disbursed and he was alone again but he didn¡¯t seem to slow down even if he knew that I was right behind him.


    I thought of giving him some time to process everything that was going on. But then, Kieran had always been there for me and I felt like this was the time that I needed to pay him back. I should be there for him as well. Just being the one avable for him to rant to. I had been in such position before, in fact, not too long ago and I knew how it felt for a bad rumour to be spreading across town . I didn¡¯t know if mine was worse for being a stranger or his as being their king but who cared?


    After several knocks on the door, he finally opened it but he didn¡¯t stand by the door to ask me questions as he normally did. He just flipped the bolt and by the time I ushered my self in, he was already seated by his study.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what¡¯s happening. Trust me, I know how you feel,¡± I just didn¡¯t know the right words to start with.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you have had a bad rumour about you going around town that you ruled. You should understand.¡±


    I knew he meant that sarcastically but I didn¡¯t mind. I was determined to return the favour of being there for him just as he had done for me.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be taking a nap or something?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Right now I don¡¯t think that I would find sleep even if I went back to bed. So just forget about it, I¡¯m here now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are.¡±


    He crashed on the bed.


    ¡°So what happened out there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

 Chapter EIGHTY- THREE: CRIMSON PLOT

    ¡°You just have to calm down, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly, I¡¯m not worried about that. I¡¯m just trying to figure out who is doing this.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that it is Ryan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He would really have some guts to want to send spies here again. And worst of all, trying to turn my people against me.¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know yet. But he is still the prime suspect.¡±


    ¡°Look ra, I really don¡¯t want you to get your head in this. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°I know you will. I¡¯m not here to tell you what to do. I¡¯m just here to make sure that you are fine. Feels like it¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°you know it¡¯s not your responsibility right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°I have handled worse cases like this.¡±


    A bang on the door caused a thumped in my heart. And Kieran walked towards it. It was Alex and he didn¡¯t look like he had any good news down his gut.


    ¡°What is it, Alex?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have interrupted anything,¡± he said as he saw me.


    ¡°Oh no, no you weren¡¯t interrupting anything. How are things looking out there?¡±


    ¡°It have been a bit stable since you addressed the people but there have been a new development. And it is not looking good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Some of the guards just came back.¡±


    ¡°Do they have any news?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You said some, what of the rest?¡±


    ¡°They were one of the few that could escape. The rest have been captured.¡± Alex spilled.


    Just then, his phone beeped and he looked through it.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, what am I looking at?¡±


    I watched the lines on his forehead as he looked through his phone.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked still watching as the screen show brightly in his eyes. I walked slowly towards him and then he handed me the phone. First it was pictures of the guards that Kieran had sent to look for the spies. They had been captured and they were clearly in distress and then there was a text from an unknown number. The text read:


    ¡°A location will be sent to you shortly. Hand over the girl or they begin to die in the next hour. Your choice.¡±


    I looked at Kieran as soon as I was done reading through the next word. And then I looked back at the text. It had a strange symbol at the bottom of the text. Like a red bull.


    ¡°What is it master? Any new update?¡± Alex asked.


    Kieran turned to Alex, ¡°it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle. Look after the men that returned. Give them food and medication if they need any. I will meet up with them shortly. And most of all, do not let anyone know about this. Especially those outside this pce.¡±


    ¡°Okay sir,¡± he said and walked out.


    ¡°This is much more serious than I thought,¡± Kieran said as soon as Alex was out of sight.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I need to find out who is doing this. My men are in danger or probably dead by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about what is going on. This is my fault.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that to yourself. It¡¯s not your fault. I can¡¯t just let you out there knowing Ryan¡¯s intention. Ryan could have let other people know about the blood moon. Have that ever urred to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it could not be him but whoever is doing this clearly needs me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out. I just need to look closely.¡±


    ¡± Can I see the text again?¡± I asked.


    He gave me the phone as he began his pacing around the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s this symbol here?¡± I pointed to the symbol at the bottom of the text to Kieran. He took up the phone and looked keenly to it.


    ¡°I know this symbol. I have seen it somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he hurried towards his study table and I walked towards him. I couldn¡¯t quite understand what he was searching for but I just watched him and helped him put files away until he came towards a file and opened it. There were symbols all around and then we found the one that we were looking for.


    ¡°This is it. The bull. It is a symbol of the Crimson Pack.¡±


    ¡°The Crimson Pack? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°One of the most powerful werewolf pack in the region.¡±


    ¡°Why would they send this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that they have found out about the blood moon too? I mean it¡¯s no longer a secret again especially with the blood moon just a day away.¡±


    ¡°Sincerely ra, I have no idea. And trust me, I¡¯m not proud that I¡¯m saying that. Something doesn¡¯t just add up.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about this pack?¡±


    ¡°Not much, I might be the Lycan King but every pack has their privacy. All I know is that they have been loyal. But matters like this that have to do with powers we can¡¯t really say for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah your right. Well, I¡¯m d that you have discovered who sent the text. You can send your guards there now and get your guards. In exchange of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that.¡±


    ¡°But why? You saw your guards. They could be dead. I can¡¯t just seat here and let that happen knowing what is at stake. If it¡¯s me they want, then they can have me.¡±


    ¡°ra, they would kill you. The blood moon is just in a day. You would be used as a sacrificialmb.¡±


    ¡°Kieran¡­¡±


    ¡°ra, we aren¡¯t talking about this anymore.¡±


    He moved away. Pacing around.


    ¡°What are we going to do now,¡± I asked.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for now. Still trying to think of something. I should go and check on the guards that managed to escape. Maybe I can get something from them.¡±


    ¡°Should Ie with you?¡±


    ¡°No, stay here. It¡¯s bad enough out there. You shouldn¡¯t get yourself entangled with anyone. As we haven¡¯t known the spy yet. As soon as I get what I need, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He said and walked out.


    I just couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, my head spanned. I wanted to scream and call out for help. This was it, the end of everything that I have been fighting for. Everyone wanted me because of what they could get from me. Even Kieran. But luckily, his desires weren¡¯t terminal. How could I possess such powers but yet I felt like the weakest. The pawn that everyone could use. It wasn¡¯t fair to me at all.  If I was truly the chosen one, then I deserved more.


    The door swung open as Kieran walked in again. He didn¡¯t take as long as I had thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did they say?¡± I asked overwhelmed with curiosity.


    ¡°Surprisingly, they cannot remember the route to the location where they were held captive. But one of them stated that the walls were tall and made of bricks. If I know the Alpha of the Crimson pack very well, he is proud and seem to be the most powerful. Someone that proud would  never want to have high wall.  That¡¯s only a sign of weakness.¡±


    ¡°What if they might have taken them somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    I nced at the time, we had just a few minutes left.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time anymore. We should go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that I know that? The Crimson pack will not just seat and watch us invade their space. They would retaliate and this would mean war.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, this is bad, this is bad.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah it is,¡± he sighted the file again and then he walked towards it.


    ¡°But what if this is just a plot, like a cover to what the main thing is?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±

 Chapter EIGHTY- FOUR: THE EXECUTION

    ¡°I mean with what the guards said and the location that they described, it still doesn¡¯t sit right to me that the Crimson pack is in on this. What if someone captured my guards and sent a text using the Crimson logo? This person knows very well that I would retaliate and hit on the Crimson pack. Which indeed will breed war.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But the war is like a distraction,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, exactly. Whoever is doing this knows very well what my actions will be. They have studied me closely. Hence the need for the spies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. So what you are saying is that it¡¯s someone that is using the Crimson logo as a cover. This is Ryan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care who it is. All I know is that I¡¯m going to find my guards. Tall brick walls, if it¡¯s not the Crimson pack then I think I know where that is. I need to get to Alex.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a good idea. You shouldn¡¯t be seen out there especially at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I know that you want to protect me for the reason we both know but I want to do this with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we should go back and forth about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯ming with you and its not negotiable.¡±


    ¡°ra,  if this people are at this location that I think that they are, then we would be invading their hideout. It is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck this,¡± he said and walked on as I followed him behind.


    On a normal day, I would have just listened and stayed back anticipating his return and what would happen next. But this time, I just felt that it was time that I finally got involved and so I just followed behind.


    Surprisingly, Kieran was right, we found three men holding the guards captive within the tall brick wall. Kieran, Alex and the rest of the warriors were able to overpower them as they were not expecting the invasion. Kieran had let mee along but he had only left me to stand by a distance. Soon, we were all back to the pce. Kieran could recognise them. They were men from the town.


    ¡°So what next?¡± I asked as we got back to the pce.


    ¡°We interrogate these sons of bitches. We know the source of this.¡±


    ¡°Its Ryan.¡±


    ¡°I know, but we just need to be sure. We can¡¯t rule out other options.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are right. The doctor said that your guards would survive. Their injury wasn¡¯t very severe. I¡¯m d that this is finally over,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, its not, ra. Call on a meeting with the people. And alert the pce executioner,¡± he instructed Alex.


    Just as we had predicted, it was all masterminded by Ryan. Turned out that the day that he hade iming to want to see me, was the day he began the execution of his well-cooked n. I always knew that his presence in the pce wasn¡¯t just to see me.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Kieran showed me his hands and I took it. He led me outside. The people were already outside by the time we got there. They still looked pissed but I knew that it was just a mask to what they truly felt_ worried, everyone would be. Even I had be worried but not for the same course.


    The executioner already stood ready to pull the lever so that these men would breath theirst.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I whispered to Kieran as we stood and watched the people while they watched these men. I could hear the wailing of some women and children trying to reach out to these men.


    ¡°What I should have done a long time ago,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t look at me. I wished that he had.


    These men were fathers and husbands they didn¡¯t deserve to be there. I had been with Ryan for so long to know what he was really capable of doing. He had used these men, just as he had used me. But one thing was different about us, I had a second chance to right my wrongs and they didn¡¯t. Kieran wasn¡¯t going to give them that. Not when he had a legacy to protect.


    ¡°A few days ago, a powerful and renowned werewolf paid us a visit here. I wasn¡¯t really aware of his intentions because it wasn¡¯t quite clear. But I just discovered that on his way out, he spoke with some men here. Turning my people against me by making them spread fake words. He made those men a spy in their own town. He wanted to cause war using these men. I¡¯m not sorry for this werewolf because his ns failed but I am sorry for this men and their families. I have ruled this town with the people¡¯s interest as my sole priority. And at the slightest opportunity, you want to turn against me.¡±


    ¡°Kieran¡­¡± I called out but I knew that my words would mean nothing.


    ¡°These men hasmitted treason and so they would face the capital punishment which is death by hanging.¡±


    There was an uproar amongst the crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I¡¯m the king or I can. But rather to warn you all. Just in case a friendly werewolfes into town to speak into your ear.¡±


    The wails had increased amongst the crowd. Kieran raised his hands up as the executioner awaited his signal. My heart raced, I have never been faced with such cruelty before. I could have helped this men. Given them other choices so they would live their lives with their families again. But I couldn¡¯t me Kieran. I understood that he needed to do this. What I didn¡¯t quite get was why he needed me by his side. Perhaps he wanted to show me a part of him that I never knew existed. Although I had always suspected it was in him. After all he was called ruthless for a reason. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many people he had ordered their execution.


    As soon as he dropped his hand, the executioner pulled the lever. And just immediately, I took my hands away from him. I could feel his eyes on me but my gaze did not leave these men. The men only struggled for a bit. Their veryst hustle for survival. This was the point were the toil and struggles finally came to an end. Most of them had only given up on life but their bodies still needed to try. And then it just stopped. They had given up. Their soul roamed free now. Perhaps they were at a much better ce. We never knew. The wails from the women increased and then, it just stopped. Everyone turned and left. Leaving their boards and weapon behind. Tears flowed down my chin.


    ¡°You know it was Ryan that did all this right? These men were just his prey just like me. That¡¯s what he does He uses people. Now, you just ended their lives for nothing because he will strike again. Ryan would never give up.¡± I said as I turned to him.


    ¡°The people needed to know that I was still their king.¡±


    ¡°By killing them?¡±


    ¡°By executing offenders found guilty of treason.¡±


    ¡°This is not just about Ryan is it? You just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that your people could turn against you. So proud and arrogant. I have always known. These was just a way to feed your pride.¡±


    ¡°ra, you know nothing of ruling people. I¡¯m the Alpha King I can¡¯t just do what you feel is right. It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    ¡°I always knew you were ruthless didn¡¯t just know what level,¡± I said and walked away.

 Chapter EIGHTY- FIVE: A RELAPSE

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I got your message,¡± Kieran said as soon as I opened the door for him. I had spent all part of the night thinking about what had just happened. About those men that their lives have been snatched away from them. I had rejected dinner with Kieran. I¡¯m sure that he had expected it.


    ¡°I have woken up with this really bad headache. It is affecting every part of my head. I feel like my eye balls is about to fall off.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°But the doctor assured that you were okay as long as you stick to the medication.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I think I missedst nights dose.¡±


    ¡°You think? How could you even do that? You know how important it is that you stick to your medication. At least it exins the headache. Did you even sleep at all?¡±


    ¡°Well if I say yes, then I would be lying.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on ra, you are better than this.¡±


    ¡°What did you even expect that would happen? I saw the lives of those men being snuffed out of them. Those women became widows and their children, fatherless, with just a snap of finger. All because of me.¡±


    ¡°You are ming yourself for this?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, why won¡¯t I? You heard the men confess to you , it was Ryan. He is doing this because of me. My presence here. How do you think those women will feel about me when they find out that this was about me? Their men died because of me?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not allow them know about that. ra, those men made a choice. They choose to be Ryan¡¯s spy because of mere promises that he made to them. They could havee to me instead they chose to betray me, to betray this town  the people and even their families. You can vent all you want about this but I don¡¯t regret my actions.¡±


    ¡°Oh you don¡¯t need to tell me that, it is ring,¡± I winced as I held my head.


    ¡°What can I do to help? I¡¯m a bit out of ce your call just pulled me out of sleep. I realised I haven¡¯t gotten any of that for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I had disrupted your sleep or anything that you were doing. But I was hoping that this is the right time to assign that driver you talked about. I need to go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± He grumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I kind of sent everyone on a short break.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit. That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just driver myself then.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you do that. I will take you to the hospital myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh no Kieran. I can¡¯t let you do that either,¡± I said immediately.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by what¡¯s wrong? Kieran you are the king. You aren¡¯t my driver.¡±


    ¡°Can you just quit with the argument and get ready so I¡¯ll take you there before this gets worse? I should get ready too so be a bit hasty. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said and walked out of the room.


    I just stood there. Kieran had began to care a lot but most of the time, I just waved it off because I knew who he really cared about and that wasn¡¯t me. Sometimes I was tempted to bask in the warmth whenever he would hold my hands and lead me to ces. Or when he would send me a fancy note inviting me for dinner or breakfast. When he would s and want to go the extra mile just to make sure that I was happy. Like what he was about to do now.     ¡°Miss ra, you cane and see the doctor now,¡± thedy in the scrub said and Kieran led me to the doctor¡¯s office.


    By the time we arrived at the hospital, the headache had already gotten to the point were I had lost my sense of sight. The lights had be too bright that the only option was to keep my eyes closed. I had been taken to the emergency unit and administered something that just made everything disappear. I sat and waited with Kieran for the doctor like nothing ever happened. Until it was my turn to see the doctor.


    ¡°Miss ra, the report said that you were administered about an hour ago into the emergency unit because of a very severe headache.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded, ¡°but I feel fine now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were injected with something that took the pains away.¡±


    ¡°What could have been the problem? She woke up feeling this headache. ording to her she missed a medication.¡±


    I turned to Kieran but he didn¡¯t return the nce. He just kept talking.


    ¡°Could it be the medication?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s likely not the medication but it was expected.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We managed to remove the poison from your system but there are still traces of it. The first medication that was given to you was to heal you from the damages of the poison. When you missed that dose, it only reminded your body that their were still some foreignpounds which in this case is the poison in your system and so the headache was a sign. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s something we can handle. This is just a sign that your body is healing fast. You would have a few more episodes but not as severe as this one before it will finally go away. And when you do, all you have to do is take the drugs and rest.


    ¡°Okay doctor so what can be done?¡± Kieran asked he was speaking for me now.


    ¡°We would administer a new set of drugs that would rece the previous. Don¡¯t worry miss ra, you are well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you doctor,¡± I smiled.


    Kieran grabbed my hands as we walked out of the hospital everyone stared at us as if we were like an item. From time to time I would stare at his face wondering if he actually cared for me, ra, and not thedy that he saw me as. No one had actually cared for me the way that he did. Now, I wondered what his mate was like. And how he would treat her, they would be the couple of the century. He really did know how to treat his woman and I loved that about him. Some times I felt lucky to be with him, and other times, I just didn¡¯t. He opened the door of the car for me, I felt like a queen. Why would I not? When he was my King.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled at him.


    I just couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him as it kept my heart warm. I knew that he saw me staring but I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Would you finally tell me why you have been staring?¡± He asked.


    I looked away into the road with a smile as he moved the car.


    ¡°Is it because of her?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Your mate. Ex mate,¡± I watched him.


    ¡°Why are we suddenly talking about her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know she just came to mind.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because of the way that you¡¯ve been acting.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°How have I been acting?¡±


    ¡°Nice. Caring. Sometimes you act like you are in love with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t be silly.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder if you actually care for the real me or you just care because you see her in me. Tell me, which is it?¡±


    Kieran did not respond  I only noticed that he has been watching the side mirror for sometime. And then he sped up.


    ¡°Oh God¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think we are being followed.¡±

 Chapter EIGHTY- SIX: THE CHASE

    ¡°What?¡± I turned sharply but couldn¡¯t see any car behind us.


    ¡°I said we¡¯re being followed,¡± Kieran said, his voice calm but I sensed the hint of tension in it.


    I nced at the rear mirror, trying to appear calm too. But it wasn¡¯t working. There, a ck SUV followed behind us keeping a steady distance.


    ¡°Are you sure they are on to us? They could just be any other car.¡± I said, my heart pounding a little faster.


    Kieran¡¯s grip tightened on the steering wheel.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve been watching them for a while now. Okay watch this,¡± he said as he navigated the car to a corner and they did the same.


    ¡°Oh my God, you are right.¡±


    ¡°Turn off your phone,¡± he said.


    I did as he had said. I felt a chill running down my spine. It was expected.


    ¡°Who do you think it is? Ryan?¡± I asked, my voice was barely above a whisper like they would hear us if I spoke any inch louder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kieran admitted. ¡°But we can¡¯t take any chances.¡±


    ¡°How did they even know that we were going to be in the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that as well.¡±


    As I turned again, another car emerged from a path of the road. It wasn¡¯t just one car following us now.


    ¡°Oh shit, they are many now. I don¡¯t know how much I can hold up.¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°It¡¯s me that they want,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is my car. Whoever is on to us knew quite well that it was me.¡±


    ¡°If you are right then its Ryan. And I can¡¯t let him have you. We will get out of this.¡±


    He pressed a button on the console, and the car¡¯s engine roared to life.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Kieran said, his eyes was fixed on the road ahead.


    The road blurred ahead as Kieran sped through it. I had no idea where we were going at that point. I had to trust him. His expert handling kept us on course. I admired it. But the vehicles weren¡¯t giving up; it clung to us. Getting closer at every second.


    ¡°They¡¯re gaining,¡± I said, my voice gripped in fear.


    Kieran¡¯s jaw tightened.


    ¡°I know. Just hold on.¡± He pulled out his phone, and activated his speaker.


    ¡°Who are you calling?¡±


    ¡°Alex, we have a situation. We¡¯re being followed. Need backupe as soon as possible. I¡¯ll send you a location of where we would be headed. Please hurry.¡±


    ¡°On my way, Alpha,¡± Alex¡¯s voice crackled through the speaker.


    ¡°That was Alex,¡± he said,  ¡°he is on his way.¡±


    I felt a sense of relief washing over me. Alex was Kieran¡¯s beta, his second-inmand. He was skilled, loyal, and ruthless when he needed to be. If anyone could help us, it was him.


    But the chase only got a lot more serious. We turned into a narrow dirt road, dust billowed behind us. The cars followed getting even closer.


    ¡°They¡¯re right behind us,¡± I said, my voice a bit shaky.


    ¡°I know,¡± Kieran said, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t stop.¡±


    The road ahead was filled with dusts  we could barely see. Kieran pushed the car forward. His eyes pierced on the road. He didn¡¯t let me see his eyes if they had the level of fear that mine had.  He navigated through the path with a skill I had never seen in anyone before. It was then that I remembered: Kieran wasn¡¯t just any man.


    As if he sensed my thoughts, he nced at me, and a smile crept to his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, ra. Trust me.¡±


    I nodded with a smile. I believed him.


    The chase continued, the SUV¡¯s headlights grewrger in the rear-view mirror. Then, shes of light appeared in the distance.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Kieran pierced at the side mirror and then he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alex and his crew. Thanks man,¡± Kieran chuckled.


    Alex hade with the rest of the crew from ahead. We weren¡¯t alone anymore. As soon as the cars that followed behind noticed this, they stopped. I knew, that they wouldn¡¯t continue.


    ¡°They are leaving,¡± I said watching the cars behind as they swerved into different directions. I heaved a sign of relief.


    In our drive down to the pce we said nothing to each other. The events still hung heavy in the air.  I couldn¡¯t shake my mind off the thought of what could happen if Alex and his crew hadn¡¯t showed up on time. The rush from the chase had faded leaving me exhausted as I rxed on the sofa chair as soon as we got to the Pce. Although, I still felt a bit of uneasiness but I knew that it would pass just like everything else.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to witness that,¡± he began.


    I scoffed, ¡°I should be the one apologising. It was Ryan¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°Its clear that he doesn¡¯t want to give up.¡±


    He took a nce at his wristwatch,  ¡°Oh look at the time, ¡°we should put you to bed. It¡¯s time for your medication.¡±


    I nodded and he led me to my room. But my head still couldn¡¯t wrap it up. Why would Ryan not give up? I wanted it to all end. The spies, the death of those men and now this? All of this was bound to happen from the very moment I found at that Ryan wanted my powers. Kieran had only helped slow down what was going to happen. He had done enough more than anyone could do. He carry the burden so well that sometimes I forget my ce in the pce.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I began, my voice barely above a whisper. It fitted the night.


    He nced at me, his brow furrowed with concern.


    ¡°Yes, ra?¡±


    I hesitated for a bit my fingers tracing the edge of the nket he¡¯d draped over me.


    ¡°Why does this keep happening?¡± I asked, the words spilled out before I could stop them.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The attacks, the strange encounters¡­ We¡¯re constantly in danger. And it saddens me that I¡¯m the cause of this. I keep putting you and the entire town in danger. Ryan is something else. The blood moon is just by the corner. Who knows what he would do this time?¡±


    Kieran sighed, his gaze drifting out the window. ¡°It¡¯s all Ryan¡¯s fault,¡± he finally said, his voice quiet but I could still detect the fury in it. He too had had enough.


    Ryan. The name alone still caused me to shiver in a bad way.


    ¡°But why?¡± I pressed, my voice trembling slightly. ¡°Why won¡¯t he just leave me alone?¡±


    Kieran turned to face me, his eyes didn¡¯t have the bright look that they normally had instead, they were filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.


    ¡°Because he wants you back, ra. He can¡¯t ept that you escaped, that you chose me over him. That is asides the blood moon shit.¡±


    A wave of nausea came over me. The thought of Ryan wanting me, of him trying to reim me, was repulsive. I shuddered involuntarily, and Kieran reached out to take my hand, his touch was warm and reassuring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, his voice gentle. ¡°He won¡¯t get you. I won¡¯t let him.¡±


    I nodded, I trusted Kieran , but the constant threat of Ryan loomed over us, over me. It was not just a reminder that my past was never truly behind me. But something entirely different.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± I whispered, my voice barely audible. ¡°I hate that he¡¯s still out there, that he¡¯s still trying to hurt me.¡±


    Kieran squeezed my hand.


    ¡°I know, ra. I hate it too. But we¡¯ll get through this. Together.¡±


    Together? Did he actually say that to me? Or had the drugs began to kick already that I was beginning to see things? Whatever it was, I didn¡¯t want it to stop.


    His words broughtfort, I leaned into him. The warmth in his words was overwhelming. I envied his strength I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but I knew that as long as I had Kieran by my side, I could face anything.


    ¡°You shoulde stay with me in my chambers.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I moved away from his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯ve see what Ryan is capable of. I can¡¯t let you stay here all by yourself. And you heard what the doctor said. I need to keep a close eye on you to help with the medication and I can¡¯t do that if you aren¡¯t with me.¡±


    ¡°Kieran I know all of this but I have stressed you enough. You are a King you have the people to rule, to look after and protect.¡±


    ¡°And you are one of them.¡±


    ¡°Kieran¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want move to my Chambers then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have to move in here then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter EIGHTY- SEVEN: OUR STEAMY MOMENT

    The light flickered on the tapestries that hung on the walls. Kieran sat in a chair by the fire. The light from the fire made the sharp lines of his face stand out. His broad shoulders and strong arms didn¡¯t only show how powerful he was but seductive. I had never looked at him that way but as he sat there so rxed, I could sense the strength underneath. Watching him made me feel a strange mix of nervousness and attraction. He had refused to leave instead, he brought his work to my room.  Inconveniencing himself just to make sure that I was okay.


    ¡°Why are you really here? I mean what¡¯s the real reason you chose to stay here with me?¡± I asked, sweat rolled down my face.


    ¡°I have told you before. Are you okay?¡± He asked watching me take off the robe I had on which revealed the night dress underneath.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You are literally melting,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I guess the doctor left out the part that I would probably sweat out the entire liquid in my body. Or maybe its just the air conditioner. Let me check it out.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry, rx. I¡¯ll check it out. But I feel fine. The air is cool,¡± Kieran offered.


    ¡°So it¡¯s just me then.¡±


    I took off the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the drugs kicking in. You should be fine in no time.¡±


    ¡°I would do with a cool bath right now.¡±


    ¡°And that would be the fifth time you would be doing that in less than an hour. You know what? Rx, let me get a towel and a bowl of cold water.¡±


    I nodded. He returned just immediately and in a bit, Iid down while he sat above me. And just like I had expected, he dipped the towel in the bowl of water and ced it on my forehead. The damp cloth felt cool against my burning forehead. My eyelids fell closed letting the sensation overpower the burn.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Just rx and breathe. Let out all the steam.¡±


    ¡°You are right. It¡¯s so refreshing.¡±


    ¡°Told you.¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°You scared the hell out of me earlier,¡± he admitted in a calm tone. When you went down, I¡­¡± He trailed off, his gaze dropped to his hand that was still clutched in the damp washcloth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled, the words barely audible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± He finally met my gaze again, his eyes seemed to pierce right through me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been pushing yourself too hard,¡± he said.


    He was right. But the pressure of what was going on kept me on the edge. I stared up at Kieran, with his worried frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d have done without you,¡± I confessed, the words just came out before I could think of stopping them. It seemed to be happening more often now.


    His lips twitched into a small smile, the one that always tingled me.


    ¡°Always happy to help,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where did you learn how to do this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My mum used for do this whenever I came up with a fever. I used to hate the way that it usually felt but at the end, it made all the chills go away.¡±


    ¡°Your mom. You never really talk about her.¡±


    ¡°She was powerful and lovingst I can remember. But I never really saw her around especially before the war. But the little time I spent with her was worth the while.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right. Spending time with the right person is worth every second,¡± I said.


    ¡°I used to miss that feeling with her.¡±


    ¡°Used to? What changed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I think that I¡¯m beginning to feel that way again.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡± I asked.


    He stopped for a while without saying anything and then he continued.


    ¡°I see the way you look at me sometimes,¡± I whispered, ¡°That soft gaze you forget on my skin whenever you think that I¡¯m not looking.¡±


    He moved the towel down below my neck as the cold liquid rolled in between my breasts.


    ¡°Is this alright?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was a low rumble, that it sent something cool and refreshing through me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathed, my voice thick. My throat felt suddenly dry.


    ¡°Do you want me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything but his touch was much lighter than it was.


    ¡°Do I read wrongly what your eyes tell me? Look at me Kieran.¡±


    ¡°ra, with you, everything is different,¡± his voice was like a caress touching my earlobe gently. I caught his eyes on me, with the lights reflecting on them, I could see the desires. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were the same that matched mine. All I wanted was to hold him and fell his breath under my neck. To have his solid body on mine. Those hands that glued to that steering earlier to make sure that I was safe. I need them to hold me down. I shut my eyes again. I wanted to hear his whispers right in my ear as the warmth from his breath would rest on them.


    I opened my eyes again, meeting his gaze. He hadn¡¯t taken it off. His face was close, I felt his breath now. The spark in my chest cause my heart to bloom.


    He continued, his touch lingered a bit too long on my cheekbone, sending me thrills in between my legs.


    The air in the room suddenly felt thick. My cheeks burned, not just from the effect of the medication, but from a sudden, unfamiliar heat.


    He reached out with a single finger brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead. As usual I felt the spark. I still wondered if he knew how he made me feel. At that point I didn¡¯t see him as the Lycan King; a powerful ruthless Alpha who wanted me for his own reasons. But as a person whom we shared a sort of connection with. And this connection has birthed this desire between us. The one that now burned somewhere within.


    For a moment, the room seemed to shrink. It was just us now. There was no space between us. My heart hammered. I could feel the heat radiating from his hand, branding my skin. Time seemed to slow, the space between our breaths reduced.


    Then, slowly, ever so slowly, Kieran leaned in. My breath caught in my throat. My body, which had been limp moments ago joggled up. I was in for whatever he had on his te. Every inch of my being screamed. Was this really happening? A part of me wanted to pull away but then, another part, a part I barely recognized craved for him.


    His lips brushed against mine it was like a jolt of electricity surged through me. I had felt many things in my life but not this way for a kiss. The kiss was soft, hesitant at first. But then, something shifted. His hand moved to cup my cheek, tracing a circle over my skin.


    I responded just immediately as my hand reached up to tangle in his hair. The feeling of his hair, soft against my fingers, was intoxicating. I just couldn¡¯t get enough.


    We pulled away at first gasping for breath our foreheads still pressed together. Was that it? I hoped not. I could devour him at that point if he tried to stop. I stared at him, but his eyes were a bit dark though I could still see them through the dim light. They were filled with desire just as mine was  I felt deep within myself. My breath hitched as his gaze dropped to my lips, then lingered for a bit.


    ¡°I want you. I want you so bad,¡± he whispered. As his warmth rested on again, I dived for his lips.

 Chapter EIGHTY- EIGHT: OUR STEAMY MOMENT II

    He didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, he held closer. I shut my eyes savouring on his lips. We couldn¡¯t stop to catch our breath, I felt like it would waste time. We were like two people that had this desire packed up somewhere. From his body movements I knew he wanted me badly, I wasn¡¯t wrong about that. He moved his tongue in mine so I tasted him. I knew he could taste me too.? It was like the sweet taste of honey lingering in my tongue. As he ced me gradually to the bed, I felt his hands all around me. His intensifying breath matching mine. He didn¡¯t keep his hands at a ce. I loved that he explored ever corner of my body.


    He held my thighs slowly lifting my dress as he buried his lips in my neck. I shut my eyes feeling his hands taking my dress away. He sp my thighs. Grabbing them like he owned them. Then he pulled away from my lips. I could see his eyes for a bit before he took his lips to my thighs. nting kisses as he trailed upwards. His hands were soft and smooth against my skin. Gradually he took my panties down. I was all his now. He worshiped my body adoring every inch with a kiss.


    He buried his head between my thighs where he nted more kisses on my dampness. And then his wet tongue went between. My body quiver and my legs shook in his grip. If he hadn¡¯t held them firmly perhaps they would have gotten away from his grip as I shivered. My desire for him only intensified. I wanted every bit of him in me. Not an inch left out. Why does he have to make me want him so bad?


    He trailed his tongue upwards taking my dress all off. My nipples pointing at him. They wanted to have him too. Then I moved upwards running my hands on his biceps. They contracted and their strength only made me drip even more. I walked my hands towards his chest letting off his robe so I could see them clearly. I have always imagined what it would feel like. There, solid at the same time very much warm. I could feel his hardness against my body. As my hands trailed down he held them so firmly and his gaze rested on my breasts


    ¡°I want to feel your hands on them,¡± I whispered under my breath with my eyes fixed on his chest.


    He moved his hands to my chest grabbing my breast in his hands.?


    ¡°Yeah, just like that,¡± I moaned shutting my eyes.


    He cupped my breast fiddling my nipples. He ced his lips on them. The wetness on his lips on them gradually led me to a state of longing. I longed for more pleasure. I always loved it when my nipples were being fiddled.? And he just knew how well to handle them.


    Where have you been a this while?


    ¡°I want to be beneath you, I want to feel your muscles press on me.¡±


    I clutched my hands across his waist. My body jiggled to his touch. I ran my hands on his bare chest again lining his muscles with the tip of my fingers. He moved his hips on my waist slowly that I craved even more.


    ¡°I want you now,¡± I moaned.


    I ced my hands across his neck just like I did before. Then he pinned me to the bed, going in between my legs. I felt the hardness between my legs, it was just the way I had imagined it. He was controlling and flexible. He went in slowly, I shut my eyes savouring in the intense pleasure as he stroked in. The wetness paving for a smooth pration as he began to thrust.


    He thrusted a lot faster just the way that I wanted. I needed to feel every inch of him in me. I held him close. I could hear his moans, they were more like grunts that refuelled my desires.


    He held my arms against each other as he took my legs apart cing them on his shoulders. He loved to take charge. Somethings I do too. It was like a momentary thing and I found it more sexy that way but with Kieran, it was different. Hismand was supreme and I just sumb to it. I loved his act of power his dominance towards what we wanted. I held tightly on to him as he stroked a bit more faster the pleasure a lot more intensified as he moved. I didn¡¯t want him to stop. He muffled his moans but I could still hear them.


    The sound rhythmic jamming against our body filled the room. And I just haven¡¯t gotten enough. It was the first time I had seen so much power in one night. We exchanged warmth from our skin as our body jammed. When I managed to open my eyes, I could see him. Those rumbled lines on his forehead that meant that he was at the peak. Just the way that I was. There was not doubt that our body understood each other.


    After a while, I felt his hands caress my earlobe while we justid their in our thoughts. I breathed slowly and watched the curtains being nudged by the wind, my eyelids grew weary. And then, I didn¡¯t feel his hands on them again.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out and turned to him but he already slept. I watched him for a while, he was so peaceful. Then I turned back to face the window I could feel the air on my chin. And the air conditioner was functioning again as I now felt the chilly night. Even if I knew I was drifting into sleep, I still felt my lips stretched in a smile. This was it. This was the life that I wanted. Although, just a fraction of it.     The morning sun rested on my eyes lids as o opened my eyes. As I struggled to leave the bed  a sharp head pain greeted me and I winced with my hands still paced on my head. It was the hangover effect of the drugs, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. As soon as I was up, the memories of the previous night came rushing down. I turned to the other side of the bed but he wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out. But there was no response. So I strolled to the bathroom but it was empty as I predicted.


    ¡°Could he had left?¡± I muttered. By the time I was done having a quick morning bath, I waddled to the diner. With every step, our shared moment reyed in my head. I wanted to see him. Maybe we would talk about it. Maybe not. Whichever one he dimed fit I was all in for it. Whenever I closed my eyes I could still see him way above me while he drove me crazy. His touch thrilled me. Why did we have to wait for that long? I didn¡¯t know how I would act but I still wanted to be with him. I know that he felt the same way after all, he had moaned my name all night and not anyone else not even his other mate.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out again as soon as I got to the diner but he wasn¡¯t there. Only the maids that cleared out the dishes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Where is the King?¡±


    ¡°Good morning ma¡¯am. The King has returned to his quarters.¡±


    ¡°Returned to his quarters? Would he not have breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he had already done that. We are putting away the dishes.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. Why didn¡¯t he send for me. I mean he always like to have breakfast with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ma¡¯am. But he had instructed that we send your breakfast to your room and leave this note with you,¡± she handed me a note.


    ¡°A note?¡± I asked for rity. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the same King we both referred to.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

 Chapter EIGHTY- NINE: THE SPACE IN BETWEEN

    ¡°Okay thanks,¡± I took it. As I walked down the hall way  I opened the note. It was just basic. Nothing special. Not a rosy poem or sweet morning words with promises or anything like that. Just a few words that was his while the rest was that of the doctor¡¯s with the prescription of the medication. It scared me because he had changed overnight.


    He had promised to handle my medication himself but now he just dumped it all in a note the morning after we made love. What was more terrifying than that? I couldn¡¯t let my head reside in the thought that he might actually be feeling a certain way perhaps thinking otherwise. While I hummed all morning to a sweet rhythm in my head with him all over my mind  he thought the opposite. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    I matched down to his chambers. Maybe I was over thinking it. He could just be upied with his Lycan King duties.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I knocked and called out to him.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out again but he didn¡¯t seem to hear.


    ¡°I know you are in there,¡± my knocks had turned into a noisier bang but still there was no response. And then, I heard footsteps from a distance. It was Alex.


    ¡°Hey Alex. Do you by any chance know where he is? I have been knocking for a while now,¡± I chuckled. But he kept a straight face along with the rest of the guards that I had seen earlier.


    ¡°He is in his chambers,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think so because I have been knocking and no one is responding.¡±


    ¡°Well, the King has given strict instructions that he doesn¡¯t want to be bothered.¡±


    I looked at the files in his hands.


    ¡°But you were going to see him.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, the thing is this instruction is just for you. The King has instructed that he doesn¡¯t want to be bothered by you.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why Kieran could do this to me at a time like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you need to leave, please. I wouldn¡¯t want to do this the hard way.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine. We wouldn¡¯t have to go to that extent. I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    As I walked back to my room, my chest burned and my heartbeat even faster than it did before. My eyes began to get hot and I quickened my steps to get to my room as I avoided having any eye contact with anyone. I didn¡¯t know which hurt most. He had been a perfect gentleman all night but he couldn¡¯t look the woman he had been with in the face. Which made me less of myself. I felt like a whole. Like every other whore that he had a one night stand with. What made it any different now?


    I didn¡¯t know how much womanly pride I had left in me but it drained off the very second he had given Alex those instructions. I could have given up. Perhaps returned to my room and crash on the bed. Force my eyes to close so that it would drift into sleep. Sleeping had always been therapeutic for me. But then, an inner part of me wanted to still see him. I had been around him a while to know a bit about his schedule and movement. And so I hung around his chambers. With the hope that he would walk out. Not too long my prediction was right because he actually did walk out with Alex. I mirrored his movement and waited just close to his chambers as he walked back in. And then I went for it. Diving right into his chambers right before the door would close shut.


    ¡°ra, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to understand the reason why you are avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°Avoiding you? ra please I have just been busy. You know the blood moon is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Fuck the blood moon. You know what I mean. You even had to tell your beta to keep me out? What did I do wrong?¡±


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of this.¡±


    ¡°Kieran we made love to each other. You wanted it as much as I did. What¡¯s there not to talk about?¡±


    ¡°ra from where I see it, it¡¯s just sex.  Two grown ups starved from having such pleasure finally decide to help each other out. That¡¯s just what it is. If you want me to pay you, I can arrange for that.¡±


    Inded my palm on his chin as thest word fell out. He winched holding his chin.


    ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m not a whore Kieran.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that came out wrong. But what we had was a mistake,¡± He scrubbed his chin.


    ¡°Well, I doubt that you feel that way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look me in the eyes, and tell me that what happened yesterday was mistake.¡±


    I walked closer to him with a piercing gaze. He avoided my eyes.


    ¡°Look at me! Tell me that you didn¡¯t like what you saw. Tell me that you didn¡¯t moan my name or liked it when I screamed yours. Just tell me that you didn¡¯t feel the thrills that came the very first time that you went in between my legs feeling my wetness. Tell me¡­¡±


    He grabbed me and looked into my eyes his gaze like a piercing burn of rushing desires. I felt it too. There was a surge of energy in him as he kissed me his heated breath caressing my neck.


    ¡°Tell me that you don¡¯t want this,¡± I gasped as he pulled away and turned me over pinning me to the door. The next second  he lifted my dress bending me a bit over. His fierceness and sparking cravings made me dripped. I gasped at his hardness in me as he thrusted from behind. He gripped my neck as he pumped me hard. It was an intoxicating pleasure the one that breeds upmost satisfaction.


    He grabbed my breasts as he jammed so hard. I was angry at him and so I moaned his name. I heard his moans behind my ear.  He thrusted fast. I loved it fast. As he thumped, I could hear the hinges of the door as we went back and forth. I closed my eyes as the feeling of his hardness rubbed against the walls. Every inch and edge. I could feel him.


    The tension coiled tighter, like a pressure within me that demanded release. I knew I was getting closer to where Kieran was taking me. My breath hitched, short and shallow, a gasp that escaped just as his. I felt theforting sensation in my abdomen like burrowing under a thick nket on a cold night. As my skin touched the door and his body behind, it only grew the intensity within me. My senses sharpened. The air itself seemed charged.


    Then it was as if there was a spark. My muscles clenched, that I arched my back and dug my fingers on the door. It was a thrill unlike any other and a tiny explosion of sensation followed immediately. A choking moan escaped my lips as I raggedy  gasped for breath. My eye lids fluttered close. And then came the release. Kieran¡¯s grip around my neck lessened. He might have gotten there as well. My body felt heavy. My legs shivered  it was like an aftershock and slowly, every muscle rxed. But I still didn¡¯t leave the door. I only knew that Kieran had gone to the bathroom after the bathroom door shut close.


    I adjusted my dress and walked out of his chambers even before he was out of the bathroom. I didn¡¯t want to see him. Not after what he had done earlier. He wouldn¡¯t steal that moment from me. It was mine.

 Chapter NINETY: SHE SHOULD LEAVE

    Minutes after I walked out of the bathroom, a knock came from the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked as I wiped water off my face.


    ¡°Open up. It¡¯s Kieran.¡±


    My heart ached.


    I opened the door and he walked in.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened earlier. It shouldn¡¯t have happened. It is obvious we can¡¯t keep our hands away from each other.¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to fight it?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not right,¡± He said.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Katherine will never want this. I feel so guilty. It feels right and at the same time, it doesn¡¯t. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I scoffed, ¡°you make love to me and then you resent me because of your dead mate?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t dead to me.¡±


    ¡°She is dead. Long dead and gone. And you can¡¯t make me look like her. We have had moments. Just you and I. Katherine isn¡¯t here anymore. Why can¡¯t you just see that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are saying. So stop saying what you have no idea about.¡±


    ¡°Do you even want me at all? Do you ever see me? Or you will always see her? Do I make you feel a certain way? Kieran, I have felt things with you that I haven¡¯t felt with anyone before. Why are you doing this? Why do you say things like this to me? I thought you liked me for me. I guess I was wrong,¡± tears filled my eyes. I heard the quiver in my voice. ¡°Look at me Kieran when I talk to you!¡± I yelled tearful. I moved close to him.


    ¡°No,¡± He pulled away from me, ¡°with you here, this guilt will continue to grow.¡±


    ¡°What guilt? Katherine isn¡¯t here anymore. Wherever she is, she would want you to be happy. She would want you to move on with your life.¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t, you don¡¯t know that. Don¡¯t talk about her like you know her. I havee to the decision that you should leave the pce. I will arrange with a good ce for you downtown,¡± his voice quivered.


    ¡°Are you kicking me out?¡±


    ¡°You leave by night fall,¡± he said and walked out shutting me off.


    Could he be serious? I doubted that but I haven¡¯t seen him that way before. If anything, he really meant it.


    I didn¡¯t leave the room After what had happened I justid on my back staring at the top as I awaited night fall. I hadn¡¯t packed up anything. I didn¡¯t know what was the right thing to pick up. Everything belonged there after all, I had not brought in anything with me when I first came. I knew my life would change. Maybe not seeing Kieran again would be a much better option.


    The previous week had been a bit different. It was like he had changed like he actually cared about the real me. I still can¡¯t believe that I fell for that. Somehow this decision was the best for the both of us. I couldn¡¯t keep up with the life. Living like I was someone else that I didn¡¯t want to be was much worse than it sounded. At least, he didn¡¯t moan her name. I was sure of that.


    I carried a few wears from the closet and dumped it on the bed. My suitcaseid on the bed. I had changed my mind about leaving without anything. A sharp knock on the door caused me to pause. I froze, my heart hammered a bit. Kieran. It had to be Kieran. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to see him just yet. Maybe he hade to lead me away. But I wasn¡¯t done packing just yet. And it wasn¡¯tpletely nightfall. Maybe he couldn¡¯t just wait to get rid of me.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called out, my voice a bit tight.


    The door creaked open, and Kieran walked in. But something was different about him. His face was a bit different. He didn¡¯t have the smiles or even the bold look. I ignored it. And continued with my clothes.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, forcing a smile. ¡°Just packing up.¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t return the smile. I didn¡¯t expect that he would. Instead, he scanned the room, his gaze lingered a bit on the open suitcase.


    ¡°ra,¡± he began, his voice was l low, ¡°we need to talk.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°talk about what? See, I get it. You want me gone. That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll leave. But just give me a little more time to wrap it all up and I¡¯ll be out of your nose.¡±


    He closed the door softly as he ushered himself inpletely.


    ¡°Ryan,¡± he said, his voice barely a whisper.


    I paused as I heard the name. ¡°What about him?¡± I forced out,posing.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Kieran said.


    A sharp cold wed it way up my throat.


    Couldn¡¯t help as my mind raced. I swallowed. Maybe he was here for anything else. I hoped.


    ¡°What does he want?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Kieran¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°You can¡¯t leave. Not now.¡±


    I stared at him, ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t leave? You wanted me gone.¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me? Ryan is here.¡±


    ¡°But that didn¡¯t matter to you when you sent me out did it? I¡¯m going to fix this and then I¡¯m going to leave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the blood moon tonight ra,¡± Kieran said, his voice was gentle but firm. ¡°You know what happens then. Just stay in. Don¡¯t leave tonight. I¡¯ll sort Ryan out.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ming with you.¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°it seems you didn¡¯t hear me right. Do you want to get yourself killed? Who knows what Ryan has nned this time? And you just want to go out there and make it easier for him.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just it? I keep hiding and let you do everything? He¡¯ll find me eventually.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°He won¡¯t, You¡¯ll be safe here. I won¡¯t let him get to you,¡± Kieran said with a much steady voice.


    ¡°Safe? Is that what you call this? Being locked away like a caged bird while I should be out there ending this shit once and for all.¡±


    Kieran flinched, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this is for your own good.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Before I could realize what he meant by those words,  he took out the key from the keyhole and shut the door as he walked outside. I heard thest click as he locked me in. I was toote.


    ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t you dare do this to me.¡±


    I banged the door shouting, ¡°I¡¯m not a child to be coddled and protected every damn time. Let me do this.¡±


    ¡°Not against Ryan,¡± Kieran said from outside, ¡± Who knows, he could be stronger during the blood moon. We don¡¯t know that but I will be a lot focused knowing that you are safe in here.¡±


    ¡°There has to be something else we can do. Please just open the door,¡± I pleaded. But I didn¡¯t hear Kieran¡¯s voice again. He left.


    I paced around as my mind drifted into different scenarios. Kieran was right, Ryan would not havee without a n. He would do anything to harm me. I knew this. But I couldn¡¯t just let him handle it alone. What if he got hurt? I would not forgive myself for taking the fall. He was powerful but Ryan was desperate. There was always an edge to his desperation that I didn¡¯t like.


    I needed to get out. Being locked up in a room with my own thought would not help matters.


    ¡°I should end this. Tonight,¡± I muttered.

 Chapter NINETY- ONE: THE BLOOD MOON I

    I dived for the drawers searching for one of the hairpins. As I hurried towards the door, the reflection of the moon caught my eyes and a sharp pain banged in my head. I didn¡¯t know exactly what would go on outside but I knew I needed to be strong and above all, focused. I wasn¡¯t in for any of the headaches. Before I went for the door, I took a shot of the pills. The one I would have taken for the night.


    Handling the door had be a lot more easier since Kieran had be fond of locking me in. As I dashed through the hallway, my heart pounded as I got closer to the exit. Questions ran through my mind. I knew that it wasn¡¯t the brightest idea to disobey Kieran. But if anyone would die that night then it would be me and not him. He didn¡¯t deserve any of the things that I had brought to his door step. And so I was going to stop Ryan once and for all. But in doing that, I needed a n. I had none.


    There was something off, the pce seemed awfully quiet. I didn¡¯t know if it was the blood moon or the fact that Ryan was present. Even the guards were not at the exit door by the time I got there. The blood moon was supposed to give the werewolves their upmost strength especially the Alphas but in the pce, it was like everyone was scared. I should be too. I had no idea where Kieran was and I didn¡¯t bother to look for him.


    The red light rested on my face as I got outside. The  beauty that we had all been waiting for. The red moon like two-sided like the mes, it created warmth and cooked out meals but it could also consume who dared to mess around. There wasn¡¯t anything different to what the blood moon could do. If put to good use, it could be used to win battles and elevate powers. But then, lives are lost on such nights and a tyrant leader can wipe out an entire kingdom if the powers of the blood moon was channelled right.


    I didn¡¯t know what the night was going to be. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from the moon. It was like it was calling to me. I could hear its whispers around me. It called out to me like there was something I should do for it. As I took another step into the night, a loud screech resounded in my hear that I winched covering my ears but it was like the sound came from within. My heart pounded and I groaned.


    Just then, some men grabbed me from behind. I didn¡¯t quite understand what was hoping on as the sound didn¡¯t stop. It¡¯s sound echoed at a frequency that my ears couldn¡¯t hold, they bled out so did my nose. It was like this sound drained me. I couldn¡¯t fight back. If this moon could give strength why didn¡¯t it give me mine? After all  I was the chosen one but ironically the weakest. These men took me freely. My legs had lost their purpose as they wobbled, too weary to carry my body. As the sound finally stopped, my head spanned. Whatever it was, just made the headache a lot worse. There was no healing from this.


    We stopped at a spot. My eyes were shut so I didn¡¯t know where we were but I knew that we weren¡¯t far from the pce. I heard their voices, muffled rumbles of manly voices. And then I heard the clings. I didn¡¯t exactly know what it was as my visions were still blurry but I could feel the cold and hardness of the metals. They were chains. They spread my arms and chained them. I stood arms apart chained to the walls.


    Gradually, my sight returned but I didn¡¯t see Ryan nor Kieran anywhere. My legs still couldn¡¯t hold my body and so I rested on my arms. I shut my eyes for a while and when I opened them, I saw Ryan standing right in front of me.


    ¡°Hello ra, I told you that I would have you didn¡¯t I? Stubborn little ra,¡± he flicked my hair from my face, ¡°we could have done this the easy way. You would just lie on the bed resting by now or be anywhere other than here but no, you let that Alpha decide for you. Now you see, there is no other option than to do this the hard way.¡±


    He shook his head and smacked his lips, ¡°it pains me to see you this way but you know that I have no choice.¡±


    He leaned forward and took the hair away from my hair. Then he wiped off blood with a piece of clothing. He whispered in my ear, ¡°we could have had mad fun. Enjoy ourst days together.¡±


    ¡°You are sick Ryan, you should get help,¡± I managed to say. My voice a little above a whisper.


    ¡°I guess he doesn¡¯t make you feel half the way I made you feel.¡±


    ¡°He is much more better than you would ever be.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I guess he promised you love and affection,¡± he stressed the words, ¡°you don¡¯t deserve any because you are a whore. You are to be used. You are to be drained. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do to you.¡±


    I spat on him, ¡°go to hell.¡±


    He wiped his face with the piece of rag and smiled.


    ¡°I would meet you there,¡± heughed loud.


    He held a book. I couldn¡¯t tell which it was but it had many brown pages. It looked like one of the ancient books that the elders at the werewolf council usually read out from. I couldn¡¯t tell but I knew that the book would lead to my end. He began saying words from the book in a strangenguage. He repeated the words and began to move around me. At first, I was just there. Nothing changed. But he didn¡¯t stop. He kept saying it much louder. My heart began to pound. I heard the sound again as I screamed. My body shook like I would go into a seizure. It was like something was being dragged out of me.


    My body boiled and as I opened my eyes again, I saw in a much stranger way. Ryan had stopped turning now, he just faced me. A great deal of strength dwelled on me as he kept saying those words. I felt the moon and heard its words. It wanted me to take from them.


    ¡°Hold her!¡± Ryan instructed his guards as they rushed towards me and pinned me down. This new surge shook my entire body and all I wanted was to take that book from him. My eyes began to feel a lot hotter than it already did and I could feel the drag of my skin as my ws came out.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold anymore,¡± the menined.


    ¡°Hold a little more. I¡¯m almost done.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked at the guards and I felt entitled to their powers as soon as they showed me their wolves side, I knew I could take it all. That was what the voice in my head wanted. The men began to scream they tried to pull away but the power within just didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Make this sacrifice and you would be rewarded eternally,¡± Ryan said as he saw his men fall to the ground.

 Chapter NINETY- TWO: THE BLOOD MOON II

    Ryan chants somehow began to make me feel weak and in that instant, Kieran appeared from behind and knocked him off. I couldn¡¯t see the whole thing as I tried to keep my eyes open but from time to time, they would just fall close. But before I would open it again, I saw Ryan on the ground while the book was still open.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out weakly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t just listen do you?¡± Kieran said rushing towards me.


    ¡°I needed to help out.¡±


    ¡°Well, look how good you are handling it.¡±


    He walked to me as he tried to take the chains off but I groaned as he tried to force it out.


    ¡°I think there is a key with one of those men.¡±


    Kieran looked at the men thatid on the ground. They still moved their limbs but they didn¡¯t have the strength in them. Somehow, I had drained them out.


    ¡°What happened to them?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I did something to them.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to them?¡± He bent over one of the men as he searched for the keys.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it. Did you kill him? I mean Ryan,¡± I asked as I watched him lying on the ground.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he is. I mean that hit would have taken a lot of men out. But Ryan is a strong one. He is only knocked out. I called for backup. They would be here soon. I was supposed to wait but seeing you here made me change my ns. You don¡¯t just listen do you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said weakly.


    ¡°Just save it. I think I found the key,¡± he announced.


    I heard the clings of the keys jamming against each other. And the thought of being out of heir gave me a sense of relief but not for long as I sight Ryan moving. Before he could speak, he pressed a button that brought that screeching noise again in my head. I couldn¡¯t warn Kieran just in time. But he turned to face Ryan toote that Ryan threw him off to a different direction.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I guess your boyfriend isn¡¯ting to save you now.¡±


    He took up the book and continued the chanting.  Kieran attacked Ryan again. He was able to say thest word before he dropped the book.


    ¡°You are toote. Her powers are all out now. It¡¯s time to take them,¡± Ryan said as they tussled trying to overpower each other.


    Kieran stopped as soon as he heard those words. Its like he knew what was going to happen and so he dived to an opposite direction taking cover in the ground. I didn¡¯t quite understand it just yet. I thought he had abandoned me.


    ¡°Weakling,¡± Ryan chuckled. He reached out for the leather bag thatid on the floor and retrieved a knife. It was finely crafted.


    ¡°This is going to hurt a lot,¡± he said approaching me. I knew that he was going to run it through my chest and so I shut my eyes. And just then, I felt the power again, it was like it was growing gradually. It was a lot more intensified than the first time that I had felt it. I couldn¡¯t control this surge of energy that gushed out of me. I just couldn¡¯t understand it. All I knew was that I unleashed a great deal of power. I have never felt so strong like I could do anything.


    The chain became like a thin rope holding me and I cut it off. But Even with all of this, Ryan still forged ahead. He pointed the knife at me. And so I showed him my hands in an attempt to block his attack but instead something else happened. It happened like a sh. I drew power from him. I watched him drain. I tried to stop what was happening but I just couldn¡¯t. I saw his face being squeezed out of the surface if the earth. It¡¯s like he was screaming at a different frequency because I couldn¡¯t hear him. I only saw his mouth open. It wouldn¡¯t stop until I had taken every bit of his essence_ his wolf being embedded inside. Just like I had taken the one from his men. But this was much stronger. I watched life being sucked out of Ryan and I didn¡¯t feel sorry about it.


    I took every bit of what made him strong. What made him an Alpha and what kept him alive. He fell to the ground and never rose again. But it didn¡¯t end there. This power overwhelmed me. I felt like I could do everything and anything. I looked up to the moon and as I did, the moon essence began to fall in me. The surge was beyond what my body could hold. I would be a goddess and finally be at where I should truly be. My eyes began to emit light and this light around me took me off the ground. But something was off, the environment got a lot darker as I continued to shine. And just then, I felt a great deal of pain on my head and it went all dark.


    By the time I opened my eyes again I was left with just a fragment of the headache. And my eyes hurt as I tried to open them.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as I looked around. I was on a bed.


    ¡°You are in a hospital,¡± Kieran said. He sat close.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡±


    ¡°I brought you here. Can you remember anything that happened?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Oh God my head hurts. Where is Ryan? Did your men capture him?¡±


    ¡°No, you killed him and the other men. Somehow, you managed to drain the essence of this werewolves. You took their powers and their will to live. I have never seen a power like that.¡±


    I lost the words to speak. I had killed Ryan? Was that even possible?


    ¡°Turns out that he was right after all. You are the chosen one,¡± Kieran added.


    ¡°Oh God, what did I do?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Ryan unleashed this powers in your after hepleted the chant. My guess is that he already knew this but you somehow overpowered him and drained him just as you drained the rest. I had predicted that this would happen and taken so I dived to safety away from your reach. The moon made you very powerful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy I didn¡¯t hurt you. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say the same for the rest. You asked how you got here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I knocked you out. Seeing you unleash such powers, I knew that you couldn¡¯t control it. And you would not stop until you were done draining every being of their lives even the blood moon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Yes ra, you possess such powers in you. I guess it has just been buried deep down. Waiting for the right moment.¡±


    ¡°This is not the right moment. It can¡¯t be, Ryan made this happen.¡±


    ¡°Every happens for a reason. Maybe it was his destiny to do this. We never really follow the prophecy anymore so we don¡¯t know.¡±


    I exhaled forcefully, ¡°So what happened next?¡±


    ¡°I noticed that the moon was losing its light and its strength. Being the Lycan King, I could feel it. And I knew that if you took all the moons essence, your body would not be able to hold it. You would lose your flesh and the world of the werewolves would be at risks. And so I had to take you down.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness Kieran, I¡¯m so sorry about all of this.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Howe I can¡¯t remember any of this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The doctor says it might be because of the medication you were on before it happened. But with time, it would alle back to you.¡±


    ¡°This is all so strange and new to me. How can this be happening to me?¡±


    ¡°It was meant to happen you don¡¯t have to bother yourself about that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why? This would take a while to get used to.¡±


    ¡°The thing is, we have bigger problems now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I adjusted.


    ¡°With what happened with the moon and Ryan, news have gotten far. Everyone knows about you. I mean you are the chosen one. People are beginning to remember the old prophecy. They are beginning to believe in it again. Ryan¡¯s intentions were misinterpreted by some of his people. They think that he was doing the right trying to kill you. They don¡¯t think that someone should possess that much power.¡±


    He paused for while as he left the chair.


    ¡°And so they have developed a group like a fellowship of Ryan followers. It is only a matter of time before they begin to put their intentions into action. Luckily, the knife that Ryan wanted to use to fulfil his selfish desires was destroyed as well. But that would not stop them. This is not a good sign.¡±


    ¡°This just got a lot worse than I imagined. I never should have left that room. For once, I should have listened to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up. You just wanted to help. But That¡¯s not all, a few minutes ago I got a message from the werewolf council.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, what do they want?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Yeah, they want to have a meeting with you.¡±

 Chapter NINETY-THREE: NIKKEI

    ¡°What are they going to say to me?¡± I asked unsure of what to expect. But from the way that he sounded, I knew that I shouldn¡¯t expect anything good. They may likely have the same intentions as Ryan. And this time, Kieran might not be able to save me.


    ¡°Perhaps they just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said.


    I heaved a sigh leaning back on the bed.


    ¡°We would go as soon as you are fine. You don¡¯t have to rush it, okay?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°But what if it happens again? I mean this outburst of powers. I can¡¯t control myself.¡±


    ¡°I have made arrangement for that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ryan unlocked the powers in you. With time you will be able to control it. But for now Nikkei, the packs witch wille with us. She has found a spell that can nullify your powers just in case it happens again.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to meet this Nikkei,¡± I said.


    ¡°You will. I have sent words to get her. She will be here as soon as she can. But first, you need to get well. The doctor said that you are healing fast. But this new powers in you haven¡¯t perfectly settled in that is why you feel weak.¡±


    ¡°So I see, exins a lot.¡±


    ¡°So for the next few days, you¡¯ll be in bed rest until you havepletely recovered.¡±


    ¡°And what about this meeting? Will the council members not find it disrespectful that we didn¡¯t honour the invitation?¡±


    ¡°And who said that we aren¡¯t going to attend it? We are. Just not when you are like this. You have to be able to stand and do things on your own.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what they want to talk about?¡± I asked again. That was what mattered to me. I needed to have an insight at least to be a step forward.


    ¡°I have my guesses but they aren¡¯t good. That is why I need you whole,¡± he said and I nodded in response.


    After a week of total bed rest, it was finally time to go for the meeting. Kieran¡¯s position in the council meetings and as the Lycan King has made it easy to postpone the meetings until I was deemed fit enough. But the council members still pressed forward in seeing me. I had be a lot more popr as Ryan¡¯s yer. And just as Kieran had said, I didn¡¯t really have many admirers.


    Even the nurses and the doctors at the hospital looked at me a certain way. Like they were scared of me. They treated me differently. In a way that I could not very much understand. And even when I left, the people at the pce weren¡¯t an exception. They took it to a whole new level. Most of them might have witnessed it first hand, I didn¡¯t know but if I were in their shoes, I would have been curious to know what made the moon to almost lose its light.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°I can never be ready for this. But I¡¯m strong enough,¡± I smiled. He smiled back as he led me out of the pce. The car was already packed right in front of us. Asides the driver, there was someone already in waiting for us.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nikkei. You wanted to meet her.¡±


    ¡°The witch?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would be needed anymore. I mean I have been stable for a week now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that. But you never know what the council members have in mind. Some of them do not really know how to mince words. They juste out raw and it might trigger a lot of things. I wouldn¡¯t want your powers to be one of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, if they can be that annoying, then I wouldn¡¯t need Nikkei,¡± I shrugged as I entered the car.     ¡°Hello, you must be ra. I have heard so much about you,¡± the strange lookingdy said.


    ¡°Are they good or bad?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well it depends on who is speaking,¡± she smiled.


    She spoke freely unlike other witches that I had encountered. Her teeth decorated with diamonds. And with the piercings around her face, she glowed. As I sat beside her, I felt my shoulder over her cking skinny shoulders. She had a petite physique but it was hard to tell her height. I don¡¯t know if it was a thing for all witches but her hair was shabby; a roughly arrange blonde dread with lots of shiny metals hanging from each strands. What was it with the metals? Maybe she stored spells in them. But she emitted a unique smell. Like an ancient oud fragrance. She could have easily be described as a teenager but she knew so much.


    ¡°Have you ever gone to a werewolf council meeting before?¡± Nikkei asked.


    ¡°Not exactly, I¡¯ve been to a couple of meetings with Kieran though but I have never gone to any that was called on for me.¡±


    ¡°I see, me neither.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite hard to believe,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are the pack¡¯s witch. My guess is that you and Kieran would have gone out for one these meetings before.¡±


    ¡°Kieran handles the affairs of the pack so well that no one is needed. Like there won¡¯t be any need to call on me or anyone at all.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Everyone feels safe and happy. He just makes everything easy.¡±


    ¡°I guess you might have been surprised when the message came seeking your presence.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Unlike others who had forgotten and neglected the old ways which is the one that lies in the bosom of the prophecy, I use this prophecies. And I knew that what happened will happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh like a vision or something?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you do something? Like give us a warning before hand? Maybe we could have stopped it from happening.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. Don¡¯t worry your pretty head about it. It¡¯s a witch thing,¡± she chuckled.


    Kieran had been quiet the whole ride. I didn¡¯t me him. There were twodies talking about him. Asides that, he looked more worried about the meeting than I was. I was beginning to wonder if he knew something that I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just been a bit distant since the ride started. Just wondering where your mind is at.¡±


    ¡°Just everywhere. The meeting, you,¡± he exhaled.


    ¡°Did they tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe something you aren¡¯t telling me.¡±


    ¡°ra, there is nothing. Lets just hear what they have to say.¡±


    I nodded and leaned back on the seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be worried. I too will be worried. But you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Nikkei whispered with a smile and I smiled back. I didn¡¯t say anything else until we got out of the car.


    Kieran led me in and Nikkei followed behind. Her job was easy; cast a neutralising spell if I get out of control. I hoped so much that it wouldn¡¯t have to get to that stage.


    The werewolf council members where already seated awaiting our arrival. As soon as we walked in, the hall wentpletely silent. I felt every eyeballs on me. And the more we stood there the more I began to feel uneasy.


    ¡°Kieran, what¡¯s happening?¡± I whispered without looking up.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he squeezed my hands in his grip.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Hey look at me,¡± he took up my chin, ¡°I will not let anything happen to you okay?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s get you seated,¡± he said leading me in. But they stared, their keen eerie stares. I knew something would happen but couldn¡¯t tell what exactly would.

 Chapter NINETY- FOUR: THE MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS

    As soon as we were settled in, Kieran took up the stage. He said that it was important that he did.


    ¡°Good day everyone. It is important that I stand here and say this. I know this meeting was scheduled to hold a couple of days ago. But I opted for a postponement because ra, thedy in question in which this meeting is being scheduled for was ill and needed enough bed rest to regain her strength.¡±


    There were mumbling amongst the people. It was clear that they didn¡¯t support Kieran¡¯s words but he spoke nheless.


    ¡°But she is here now and I hope this meeting starts soon so we can go back to our lives,¡± he smiled and walked down. Someone else took on the stage.


    ¡°Thank you Kieran. Like you said, that was necessary. You all know why we are here. I mean, it is no news to us of the recent happenings. We, the werewolf council have done our investigations and we discovered that this must be hastily addressed before things gets out of hand. With that being said, I would like to call on the offender, ra. To stand by the witness box for questioning.¡±


    I turned sharply to Kieran on hearing my name.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he nodded, ¡°they just want to ask some questions,¡± he nudged me giving me more courage to leave the seat. As I walked on, I still heard the whispers and murmurs behind me. I knew that everyone was staring but I didn¡¯t mind. I trusted Kieran¡¯s words.


    ¡°What happened that day of the blood moon?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It was just like every other day until Ryan showed up in the pce with some men.¡±


    ¡°And then what happened?


    ¡°He attacked us.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Liar! You attacked him and killed him!¡± I jerked to the voice from the crowd. I couldn¡¯t have expected that.


    ¡°Let there be silence please. ra can you exin further to how he attacked you?¡±


    ¡°He wanted to kill me so that he can have my powers. He chanted some words that unleashed this powers in me. I couldn¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s saddening that Ryan unleashed a power that he couldn¡¯t control and therefore it consumed him. But we the council members are not pleased that you killed an Alpha and a fateful member of this council. Thankfully, we do not entirely me  you for his death.¡±


    I felt a sense of relief. And I basked in it while itsted.


    ¡°However, you earlier mentioned that this powers are so strong that you cannot control them. Seeing that you are unstable it means that you are a threat to everyone living and breathing in this town and beyond. Therefore, the werewolf council members havee to a conclusion that you will be retained and contained.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, but why? That was not part of what was discussed,¡± Kieran interrupted.


    ¡°Our dear Lycan King, we couldn¡¯t have let you all in in this discussion.¡±


    ¡°Why if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°We have seen how attached you have be with this woman and so you would not make the best decision for her.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that she would be retained and contained, what does that really mean?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°It means that we would keep her away from the world until we find a way to control this power so it doesn¡¯t harm anyone again.¡±


    ¡°Keep her away? How long do you intend to keep her? What if you don¡¯t find a way to do this what then happens to her?¡±


    The whole room went silent.


    ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure,¡± the speaker said.


    ¡°My guess is she would be killed. Is that not so?¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°That can¡¯t happen. Thank you all for your concern but I have my pce witch here that can help ra control her new found powers. We would be leaving now. ra¡­¡± Kieran signalled that Ie along but the guards blocked my way.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid but we cannot let that happen. ra is not going back with you. She is a nobody in thisnd. No family or mate and so we have every right to proceed right away.¡±


    ¡°But she is with me.¡±


    ¡°As what?¡± The man asked, ¡°a friend? Or a guest? Perhaps an acquaintance,¡± Theyughed.


    ¡°We know that she is no one to you,¡± he added.


    ¡°You are wrong. You are all wrong,¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was firm. I couldn¡¯t tell what he would do next. The members of the council had outsmarted us all. They just wanted me to be present so that they can take me. I didn¡¯t know if they meant what they said about trying to help me control my powers or it was just a means to lock me away because they were scared of me. Just like everyone else.


    ¡°How so?¡± The speaker asked. I knew he asked on behalf of everyone.


    Kieran always had a n.


    I developed cold sweat waiting for the game changer but none was forthing.


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± the speaker said, ¡°Take her,¡± he instructed the men that blocked me.


    ¡°With that, this meeting is over,¡± the man announced.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Kieran called back, ¡°you can¡¯t take ra.¡±


    ¡°Come on Kieran quit it. This is a lost cause.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t take ra because by the full moon, we are going to be mated. I am going to make her my queen.¡±


    Oh no, we definitely didn¡¯t see thating.


    ¡°What? This must be a joke.¡±


    Everyone looked in awe.


    ¡°Try me. Anyone that wants to harm her will have to first go through me.¡±


    The men that held me freed me from their grip. I watched in awe as everyone paved way for me as I walked to Kieran. They feared this man and with me by his side, they would not imagine what power we wouldmand. I took his hands as he led me out. No one dared to follow.


    The entire ride back to the pce was a bit quiet only Nikkei hummed a tune.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± I just had to say something.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that either. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you but that was the only way to not let them take you. I can¡¯t believe that they would keep out an important detail like that.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they knew you wouldn¡¯t ept. What are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Still thinking of something.¡±


    ¡°Like a n?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. A very good n at that. This is not just Ryan or any hater that is haunting you. The entire member of the werewolf council is up against us. The most powerful and influential werewolves.¡±


    ¡°That is definitely something,¡± Nikkei scoffed.


    ¡°I know right?¡±


    ¡°Well, the deed has been done. They would being for us. We should be ready when theye. That is why I have assigned a duty to you Nikkei.¡±


    ¡°Finally some actual work. I am at your service. What is your desire?¡± Nikkei asked.


    ¡°You would be moving into the pce to tutor ra on how to make use of her powers.¡±


    ¡°This could mean war against an entire Alpha,¡± I thought out loud.


    ¡°Since it is what they wish, then, let theme.¡±

 Chapter NINETY-FIVE: THE UNUSUAL BORDER PATROL

    It had been over two weeks since the meeting with the werewolf council members. And there haven¡¯t been any issues or attacks from anyone. It was more like we were living in peace. I almost got used to it. The thought that Ryan was gone refreshed in my memory every time. We didn¡¯t get the unexpected visits from any of his alibis. It was like everyone just went into hiding. Nikkei on the other hand had done ording to what Kieran had instructed. And every morning, I started my day with a cup of jasmine tea made by a witch before she began training me. The more I trained, the more I knew how much power that I possessed and I got to understand why Ryan did not stand a chance.


    It is often said that when a person is devoid of certain knowledge for a given ability or power, he or she would not know the capacity or length at to what extent the powers can go. That was how it was for me. On the day that Ryan had unleashed the powers in me, I had no idea of what level I could reach.


    The morning had begun like every other day. I heard the knock a lot earlier than before. It was Nikkei, with a cup in her hands. My guess, the jasmine tea and I was not wrong. This time, she had decided to join me in having one. She said that it had the ability to cool the system and flush away the stress of the previous day. It was a witch thing. But for me, I just saw it as morning warm tea that she helped me with.


    ¡°Morning Nikkei, you never miss one of this, do you?¡± I asked taking the cup from her grip.?


    ¡°Not exactly my dear. I hope you are ready for the day?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled. It was what I was living for. Neither I nor Kieran knew when the members of the werewolf council will decide to act on their threats.


    ¡°That¡¯s very good because today, we would be trying something very new. Something less of the mind and more of the physical.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± I said.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, it should but it doesn¡¯t quite feel fun. Don¡¯t you worry, you¡¯ll get used to it,¡± she winked.


    I didn¡¯t know what she meant by it not being quite fun but she was a good teacher, kind and sweet, knowing the right words to use at the right time. Maybe she used a spell to get it right. I didn¡¯t quite know.?


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    ¡°It might sound silly though.¡±


    She looked at me, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Just ask the damn question. So we begin,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Okay, I was just wondering why Kieran asked that you train me.¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like my training sessions?¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you ask?¡± She sipped from her cup and I dropped mine on the table.


    ¡°You are a witch and I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a werewolf. I don¡¯t quite see the connection.¡±


    ¡°Oh that?¡± She chuckled, ¡°I was expecting that question a lot sooner.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess you might have an answer for me.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. You see, as the chosen one, there is a lot that you can do. Things that are far beyond the world of the werewolves. Far beyond this world as we know it. And the only set of people that works with the supernatural forces are the witches. So, Kieran insist I train you instead of his best werewolf warriors. Your wee.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Thanks for the rification but sometimes I feel like I don¡¯t even have these powers in me. Like I¡¯m just like every otherdy that lives amongst these werewolves. Waiting to fall in love and be mated. Bore heirs and support the growth of the pack.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are far more than that. Far more than being mated to just any werewolf.¡±


    I smiled. She was the real deal. She never minced words. And I always feltfortable because I knew that she would never hide the truth. I didn¡¯t know if it was a witch thing as well or her personality, but she was exceptional. It was nice having someone to talk to, ady who understood things of the outside world. Maybe that was why we got along pretty well.


    Kieran stepped in.


    ¡°Morningdies, I see that you guys have already started the training for the day.¡±


    ¡°Hey Kieran, I nearly never see you these days,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been busy, just thought that it was best to let you focus,¡± he winked and I smiled back.?


    Alex walked in and whispered in Kieran¡¯s ear. After that, they left together. I wondered what he might have told him because Kieran didn¡¯t look quite pleased after he had heard what Kieran had to say.


    ¡°He seems to like you,¡± Nikkei¡¯s voice pulled me back.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I mean the King. He likes you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he does. He wouldn¡¯t do all of this for someone that he hates now would me?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean ra.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I avoided her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend. I know that you guys have some kind of connection. I see the way that you look at him.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, there is nothing like that. Kieran has just been very helpful. He has protected and stood by me at all time. I can never repay him back.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to. You would be mated to him anyway.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly fall for that now. You know the mating thing is not real. He only did it to save me.¡±


    ¡°You only believe that because that¡¯s what you have programmed yourself to believe.¡±


    ¡°So now you are reading my mind?¡±? I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to. What you guys have is clear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what you believe. It doesn¡¯t mean that it is true.¡±


    ¡°Well, is it not?¡± She asked.


    I took a deep breath and watched her but she still wouldn¡¯t let the thought out of her mind and I was not in the position to let her see things otherwise. I didn¡¯t even understand the feelings that I had for Kieran so how would I win the argument even if I wanted to keep up with the conversation? Maybe she was right. Maybe there was actually something between us other than the sex that we had with it each other. Something strong that could be bonded by fate. I could believe anything now.


    I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around why Kieran just had to leave after Alex¡¯s word. Maybe something was wrong. I felt it in my guts and I was always right whenever I had a strong feeling like that. It could be the werewolf council. I needed to find out.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nikkei asked.


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°You seem a bit distant.¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering what Alex said to Kieran that made him leave like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe its just the pce business. You shouldn¡¯t worry your head about that.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, I have to check something out. I would be back before you know it¡± I said and walked out.


    Kieran had just finished talking to some of his guards when I walked up to him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aren¡¯t you supposed to be training with Nikkei?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I saw Alex whisper something to you so I was wondering if there is something that I should know about.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he suspects some unusual activities around the borders. I have asked him to look into it. Although I have sent in some spies myself. You are the only one that knows this.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see. It could be them, these furious werewolves.¡±


    ¡°My guess too. Just so we are clear, I don¡¯t owe you any exnation of what is going here in the pce.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I feel that I am entitled to know. Well, until I finally leave your pce.¡±


    He gazed at me differently.


    ¡°Yeah, I still haven¡¯t forgotten your wish or the fact that you called our moments a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Nothing has changed ra.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. And I don¡¯t think that I want it to.¡±

 CHAPTER 96: MORE ROSY DAYS

    ¡°Hey ra, just the person I wanted to see?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked and walked towards him, ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as much as I know, everything is fine. It¡¯s just that I wanted to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Shoot. What is it?¡± I watched him for a while as he opened his lips to speak. I would have said that he hesitated but then, some maids passed by which gave me the impression that whatever he had to say, he didn¡¯t want even the walls to hear it.


    I stared at him waiting for the words toe after the maids had passed but instead, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What is it Kieran?¡± I had to ask again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere a little more quiet,¡± he said and showed me his hands.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Just lead the way.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As he walked ahead, I watched him. I wondered if reading his mind would have been a lot better. At the same time, hearing him say it would give me a better view through his thoughts. At least, I would know what he really feels about what he wanted to say.


    I shut the door of his chambers as soon as we got in. There I stood, holding the door again and the memories just came rushing back to me. I didn¡¯t know what was so important that he had to bring me back to his chambers which had be like a pool of forbidden memories. That was how the time we spent together which I had thought was perfect, suddenly felt.


    The mixed smell of the polished wood of the door with that of his hair oil caressed the hairs in my nostrils. It reminded me of the feeling. The very one that I had hoped to forget. The moment when he went into me for the second time in less than a week. How could I have let that happen? Amidst the anger that I felt for him, he still had a way to make me feel so lucky that I forgot that I didn¡¯t want to be with him. I reminded me that all I wanted at that moment was to have him and I did. We both did have ourselves yet, I felt like I was being used. Maybe that was what it was. Because as usual, he would regret it and term it all a mistake. He was right though because it was.


    ¡°Alright Kieran. I¡¯m done with all this suspense and looking over shoulders. What is it you want to talk about? I¡¯ve still got some training to do with Nikkei.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for just dragging you in here but I wanted to talk about the mating process.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah that, the werewolf council members definitely bought that crap.¡± I chuckled, ¡°how long do you think that they would take before they begin to suspect that it is all a lie?¡±


    ¡°Not too long, that is why I want you to organize the mating process.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? This is supposed to be fake.¡±


    ¡°Well, I never said that it isn¡¯t but this people are smart and it wouldn¡¯t be long before they smell something fishy ande for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying that we should do this? You know that undergoing a mating process with you will mean that I will officially be your mate right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that. But what choice do we have?¡±


    I gasped, taking a step backwards. It was all too much to take in. I knew Kieran had mentioned the mating process to the members of the werewolf council but I never thought that we would go through with it. Hearing him say it now hit me so hard that I suddenly felt the air leaving my lungs. The room was hotter and had be stuffy. Sweat was forced out of my pores. I have always wanted everything to die off so that I can finally leave and start my life all over again. But with what Kieran had just spilled, there was no going back and there was no starting my life afresh.


    ¡°Kieran, I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t be your mate.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I. But this is not just about us anymore. You know that right? I¡¯m just trying to protect you here. Moving forward with the mating process is the only way for you to gain my full protection. Don¡¯t you want that?¡±


    ¡°I do but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Look ra, this is hard for me too. You think I want this? Or this is some plot to keep you here? You know me. And you know that it¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Why are you protecting me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I feel it¡¯s my responsibility as a leader. I never should have taken you to the meeting in the first ce. But the deed is done and so we have to face the consequences. I can¡¯t let them have you.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like an obligation thing?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps being a King is a lot more than any of us can understand.¡±


    ¡°This is mostly about your ego as a King right?¡± I watched him.


    ¡°What is that even supposed to mean? Have you not been listening to what I have been saying?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have. And it sure sounds like you are doing this for something. You know quite well that if you let them have me, it will mean that you can¡¯t protect me. And your people would begin to have these doubts that you can¡¯t protect them either. You aren¡¯t trying to save me, you are just saving yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m protecting my territory that what¡¯s Lycan Kings do.¡±


    ¡°You never cease to amaze me Kieran after everything we¡¯ve been through you still see me as an obligation. Like something that you need to do. Well, I¡¯m not surprised. You¡¯ve always reminded me that we aren¡¯t friends.¡±


    ¡°You are the one with these thoughts. You always have something against my pride. I¡¯m just trying to protect you and make sure that you don¡¯t end up being ab rat to those people. So it¡¯s either you ept this or not. I can¡¯t force you to. But you need to be reasonable because lives are at stake.¡±


    ¡°What if I just leave? Will that not put me out of it? At least if  I¡¯m captured it wouldn¡¯t matter because I¡¯m not your responsibility anymore.¡±


    ¡°If you feel that leaving will solve the issue then leave. Perhaps you should go out there and see things for yourself.¡±


    I said nothing and then he continued.


    ¡°But in case you see my opinion as reasonable, then I¡¯m putting you in charge.¡±


    ¡°In charge?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will foresee all the activities pertaining to the mating ceremony. Handle it the way that you like. At least, it will be an opportunity to do things the way that you want. And that includes fixing a date. My advice is that you consider a much closer date or else there wouldn¡¯t be any need for that.¡±


    The scaly sensation in my throat made it a bit difficult to speak by the time that he was done talking. He was right, at the same time, it all felt so wrong. A mating ceremony was supposed to be special. I have lived half of my existence thinking about how that day would be when it finally came. I had finally stopped thinking about it when it became like a nightmare. I tried to forget. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would see Raymond. He was the one that I should have been doing this with. But seeing his face again was horrifying enough.


    Asides that, my parents should have been the one to prepare it. It would be special because I would be treated like a queen. I¡¯ll stay home all day doing nothing but looking after myself. Now, I could barely recognize who I had be. Being made to dress like someone else had been depressing enough and now, I would be handling this all alone instead of them. But it was my only ticket out of war. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be that way. That¡¯s not how I had nned it to be. The mating ceremony has always been a thing of great joy and celebration and so it still felt that way. But that wasn¡¯t the worst part of the situation. Having a mating ceremony with Kieran was.

 CHAPTER 97: THE NEW PLAN

    Just then, there was a knock on the door. He walked towards the door to answer it although I was closer to it. I didn¡¯t care about some knock. My head spanned at the moment. It had begun to spin a lot moretely. As he moved to it, he didn¡¯t reach the door just yet. He stopped in front of me and watched my eyes. I looked away. He still didn¡¯t move and then I faced him.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are in my way.¡±


    I eyed him as I moved away, ¡°I should get going,¡± I said.


    He held me as soon as I turned and I stared at him.


    ¡°What? Still in your way?¡±


    ¡°ra, you know I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Kieran, its mine and I¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    ¡°No, we will fix it,¡± he said.


    My eyes caught his lips as soon as he said those words. I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that amidst the pain and anger, I felt a little warm. I took my hands away from him and looked away again. He was like my poison. I hated that I made him that.


    He walked passed me and opened the door. I didn¡¯t exactly see who it was but I could hear Alex¡¯s voice. It was hard not to recognize his deep baritone voice. I had finally gathered the energy to leave when Kieran dashed back inside filled with energy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Remember he spies I sent concerning that unusual movement that we noticed?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, someone just sent a message.¡±


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯m as curious as you are. The spy can¡¯t ry information to anyone. So I need to be present. I¡¯m heading there now.¡±


    ¡°Okay hold on, I¡¯ming with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Why? I thought we are in this together.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we are.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Look, I feel somehow letting you go through all of this because of me. First Ryan and now this? I put war where there should have been none. At least being there and helping the little I can will give me a little peace.¡±


    ¡°When will you stop ming yourself for all that is happening? All this happening now was meant to happen. I was supposed to meet you. You are supposed to be here. Have you ever wondered why I got attracted to you on the first day I saw you?¡±


    ¡°Well, you needed a recement for your ex mate,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I used to think that was the reason. But before I met you, there used to be missing pieces in my life. Somehow you helped me find them.¡±


    ¡°How? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand. Maybe if we had paid close attention to the prophecies, we would have known better.¡±


    I turned to the door as it creaked open, Alex stepped in. Then Kieran gave him a signal and he walked back out.


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue. Look I have to go,¡± he said.


    For once in a long time, I listened to Kieran and I did not follow him to the border instead, I headed back to Nikkei. I didn¡¯t even know why I opted to in the first ce. Its not like I would have done anything to help if anything went sideways. But hisst words before leaving was something I didn¡¯t expect. I had no idea he saw me that way. I was d that I wasn¡¯t just a taker but at least there was something I could give.


    I had not still been able to master my powers. But Nikkei had been supportive and above all, patient. The powers itself was like a puzzle and very much trick- ish as she usually termed it. I was beginning to feel like I didn¡¯t have it me again. Maybe it had all gone away with Ryan or the red moon because sometimes I felt empty.


    ¡°And finally, she is back,¡± Nikkei said as soon as she saw me. I tried to force out a smile but nothing was forthing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She noticed.


    ¡°I just got the biggest shocker of my life.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Turns out Kieran is actually serious with the mating process. I thought it was all a fake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    ¡°But he said it¡¯s the only way that he can truly protect me. I have never gone through this process before how would I know?¡±


    ¡°He is right. After the mating process, you two would share some kind of bond. He will be able to feel you and so would you.¡±


    ¡°So, he would know when I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s a good thing. Besides, it might help you have a better understanding about your powers.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°I know so. You aren¡¯t just getting mated with any werewolf, it¡¯s the Lycan king. And if anyone is connected to the ancestors, its him. And who is a better teacher than the first set of people with these abilities?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get you,¡± I said and with that, I finally smiled.


    ¡°What is it again? You still have those lines on your face.¡±


    ¡°Well, Kieran has put me in charge of handling everything about the mating ceremony. Including fixing a date.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is good news,¡± she eximed.


    ¡°It is? I thought it was someone else that would. Like a parent or someone more advanced.¡±


    ¡°Look it doesn¡¯t matter. You can do this. And I am here to support you every step of the way. Come on chill girl, we have a mating ceremony to n,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you are offering to help. I wanted to ask for your help any way. A few minutes ago I felt the whole world was on my shoulders. Thanks for lifting the burden.¡±


    ¡°Its fine. Anytime.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°So how does this work? Where do we start from?¡±


    I haven¡¯t even started the preparation process and I already felt the load on me again. I just couldn¡¯t wrap my head around why Kieran would ask me to organize it. Maybe he wanted to keep me busy or distract me. But from what?


    ¡°First of all you need to be calm. That¡¯s the only way you would be able to think with a calm mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I settled by the edge of the bed. Kieran had instructed that Nikkei and I should carry out the training indoors. I had opted that my room would be much secured. And she didn¡¯t oppose.


    ¡°You should have a cup of jasmine tea.¡±


    ¡°Why? We aren¡¯t about to train.¡±


    ¡°It is just to clear your mind off stress.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need that now.¡±


    ¡°You do or else we wouldn¡¯t work,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright fine, I thought I was the stubborn one.¡±


    ¡°Oh you have no idea,¡± she chuckled and handed me a cup of jasmine tea.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I drank from it. And then the feeling came, the warm yet cooling sensation that always came with drinking the tea. I didn¡¯t know if she added something extra to it, maybe one of those magic potions but it always calmed me down.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°A lot better.¡±


    ¡°Come on drink some more.¡±


    ¡°I will but we¡¯ve got to start preparing. Kieran advised I don¡¯t take long unless, the Alphas would think that it was a fake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get. So where do we start from?¡±


    ¡°We should start by fixing a date. The next white moon is in a fortnight, that should be perfect.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, signifies purity. The goddess would be proud and would bless you bountifully with heirs for Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Heirs for Kieran?¡±


    The thought of that sent chills to every part of my body. I wish that she haven¡¯t said that. The thought of having a family with Kieran. I couldn¡¯t take my mind off the fact that he might still see me as his ex. Would we be happy? And most of all  would I be happy?

 CHAPTER 98: IN A FORTH-NIGHT

    ¡°I wonder what they would look like. Oh and the powers. I guess they would have it bothbined. That would be so much power in a being,¡± Nikkei kept talking.


    My throat felt dry as I looked away I wanted her to stop talking. How could she think that I would want that? Carrying a child again in my womb was something I hadn¡¯t considered would ever happen again. Not after all that happened in the hands of Raymond and Ryan. Losing the pregnancy, that was something I haven¡¯t healed from. It haunted me day and night. I me myself everyday that I lost it. Maybe if I had done this a little differently. Worked a little less and eaten more, it would have been a different scenario but here I was nning another life. Guilt tripped me.


    ¡°What would you call you first heir?¡± Nikkei couldn¡¯t just understand that I would never want that.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I nearly shouted.


    She turned to me sharply shocked from the tone of my voice.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked surprised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to have any kids.¡±


    ¡°I thought you are doing this?¡±


    ¡°I am but it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that this is just a fake. Nothing of that sort would ever happen.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so worked up about it? If you don¡¯t want kids, all you have to do is say so.¡±


    ¡°Can we just change the topic?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Okay, if you say so. You have to calm down. I down know what is going on between you and Kieran.¡±


    I turned to her sharply.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s obvious that something is going on between you two.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing going on between us.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t forget that you are talking to witch. I can read you like a book.¡±


    ¡°So now you are casting spells on me?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I just want you to know that you don¡¯t have to pretend when you are around me. I¡¯m a friend.¡±


    ¡°You are a witch who is assigned to help me. That¡¯s your duty so stay in yourne. Just stop overstepping your boundaries,¡± I snapped and at that moment, I realized my words but it was a bit toote.


    ¡°Hey, Nikkei I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tried to hold her but she pulled away and headed for the door.


    ¡°You are right, I am not your friend but someone assigned to work for you. And that¡¯s what I will always be to you. I get it. It¡¯s what I was sent here to do. Why was I so stupid?¡±


    ¡°No, Nikkei please I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°Well, call me when you need a witch to perform witch duty.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    She took her hand away as I tried to hold her again. Then I knew that it was over. I had pushed her to the edge.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t but you always do things to hurt the next person trying to help,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Sure I do understand. All you do is think about yourself. How you will feel about a particr thing. Have you ever thought about how Kieran feels right now? Going through shits because of you.¡±


    ¡°I think about that everyday and I feel so terrible,¡± tears rolled down my cheek. ¡°Look Nikkei, I¡¯m deeply sorry. Just going through a lot of stresstely.¡±


    ¡°Yeah there is always an excuse for all your crazy outburst. Look, I can¡¯t be around you right now. And I don¡¯t think I will ever feel like being around someone that would never appreciate your effort and never see you as a friend no matter what you go through with them. You know what ra, I need some air. Like I said, call me when you need someone to perform some witchy duties.¡±


    She walked out leaving me without my words. I was lost and I couldn¡¯t understand why I had to speak to her that way when she was only trying to help. She was right. Every time something was wrong, I¡¯ll ce the present happenings as the reason of my crazy actions. I always thought I had been responsible but it turns out that it didn¡¯t apply to every sector. I was to be mated soon, in whatever date that I deemed fit and it was my call.


    This was the time that I needed to be responsible and make decisions beyond just my feelings. The kind that Kieran made sometimes. Maybe that was what it meant to be a leader. Kieran and I had shared moments, beautiful ones at that. But I needed to put my emotions aside. It was time I had toe to the fact what we had was just a mere fling, the way that he had described it.


    There was nothing special and I didn¡¯t have to feel bad about that. All I want was to make everything go back to the way that it should be. And that means putting Kieran¡¯s kingdom at the peace that it was before. And if it needs me to put up the pretense of being joyful about this mating process with Kieran, then I would do just that. After all, Kieran had made a lot of sacrifices to save my life. I felt like I owed him this. The members of the werewolf council aren¡¯t weaklings or quitters. Or people who would hide behind the backs of spies. They are powerful and woulde all out to attack Kieran and bring down his strong hold along with his kingdom. I was not about to let that happen.


    I matched down to Kieran¡¯s chamber. I didn¡¯t want to wait until the thoughts clouded what I had in mind. So I knew that I needed to move fast and so I did. As if he had been waiting for me, he opened the door immediately just after a tap on the door and ushered me in.


    ¡°To what do I owe this pleasure, my queen,¡± he kissed my hand and I pulled me in.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked as I pulled away.


    ¡°Well, if we are going to go on with this then we need to make it look and feel real. Or no one will believe us.¡±


    ¡°They will believe us after the mating ceremony. That is enough proof. I mean what evidence would they have to show that it isn¡¯t real? We are making a lot of sacrifices doing this. So they have to.¡±


    ¡°This means that you have finally epted to do this?¡±


    ¡°What other choice do I have. Of course I¡¯m doing this.¡±


    ¡°I guess that is the reason why you are here.¡±


    ¡°Yes and I think I have a date in mind,¡± I looked away.


    ¡°Wow that¡¯s great. I¡¯m really d that we are doing this. So what date did youe up with?¡±


    ¡°The white moon it¡¯s in a fortnight. I have always wanted to be mated under the white moon,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then, that is when the ceremony is going to take ce.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It is going to be a big ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I thought that you would have preferred something less.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because it is a fake?¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Well  normally I would have preferred something less. But you are a King. Your mating ceremony cannot be anything less or they might begin to suspect. And secondly,¡± I paused.


    ¡°What is it¡±


    ¡°I have never done this before. So if I¡¯m ever going to do this whether fake or real, then I would do it the way that I should.¡±


    He nodded and reached for my hands. I wanted to it away from him but the moment just felt right.


    ¡°That is why I put you in charge. I want you to handle this the way that you want. I trust that you would make it perfect. I¡¯m so sorry that this is happening.¡±


    ¡°Its fine. Its not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°It is ra.¡±


    ¡°Why say so?¡±


    ¡°Whatever happens at the mating ceremony cannot be reversed.¡±

 CHAPTER 99: STONE OF REDEMTION

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is not just a mating ceremony. With this, you would be sworn in as a member of the pack. You¡¯ll officially be on of us.¡±


    ¡°When you say sworn in what¡¯s that all about?¡±


    ¡°It means that we¡¯ll be bonded by blood. This is not just physical.¡±


    ¡°Okay? Nikkei briefed me a bit about the whole thing but I guess she forgot to include that part.¡±


    ¡°I want us to make this work. That is why I¡¯m going to leave you with a choice. If you don¡¯t want to do this then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But what about the council?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want Kieran to leave me with a choice. I just wanted to get it done. But clearly, that¡¯s not what it seemed. It would be more than that and I didn¡¯t know if I would be willing to ept that.


    ¡°We would find a way around it. I can sneak you out to a ce that they would never find you.¡±


    ¡°And then what happens to you and your kingdom?¡±


    ¡°We would be fine. If theye, then we would fight back. We would win.¡±


    ¡°And what if you don¡¯t? Because you don¡¯t sound sure. It¡¯s all a probability.¡± I said. He took his hands away.


    ¡°Kieran¡­¡±


    ¡°ra, I¡¯m not about to take this very important part of your life as a werewolf from you. I can¡¯t do that to you.¡±


    ¡°Or is this about your ex?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s far from it. It is about you. I want this to be what you want. If not, then I can¡¯t have it. Look, you don¡¯t have to give me an answer now. Go back to your room. Take as long as you want to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Kieran stop please, you also have a choice here and you chose to save me. I have thought about it long before I came here. I want to do this with you. Let¡¯s do this. What other way do you want me to say it? We might feel nothing for each other but this feels right. And I¡¯ll give you an heir if you want. Let this be what I have to offer for all that you have done for me.¡±


    ¡°ra¡­¡± He called out but I didn¡¯t stop. I wanted to let it all out.


    ¡°This is my choice,¡± I said and walked back to my room. As I walked back, the mating ceremony ns reyed in my head. I knew that if I had to do this, then I needed someone that had a good idea about the werewolves. I knew I needed Nikkei.


    ¡­


    The walk to Nikkei¡¯s room felt a bit longer that it should. I didn¡¯t know why exactly but I knew that it had to do with what had happened between us. I should have handled the matter a lot differently, I know that now. Every ck of my heels against the marble floor, had me flinching. It wasn¡¯t the usual fear of walking through the unfamiliar pce after dark. This time, the fear came at me from the inside. The one for guilt and regret.


    I couldn¡¯t help it as the incident reyed every time in my head. My response to her was nothing I should be proud of. On every other day, I would have said that my outburst towards Nikkei was fuelled by frustration at what had been happening. I always let my emotions  in control but not anymore. I needed to make it all right again. And I needed Nikkei, she has not been just a teacher but also a friend. She was patient and had the eyes that held the wisdom of centuries. She surely didn¡¯t deserve those words of mine.


    As soon as I got to the door, I felt the urge to go back. She was someone that I couldn¡¯t easily understand her thoughts. And I didn¡¯t know if she saw me as someone that could be given a second chance.


    ¡°You can do this. It is Nikkei,¡± I muttered and then knocked on the door. It didn¡¯t take long before I heard the click from thetch and then the door pulled open. She might have been expecting me. As the heavy wooden door creaked open, I braced myself. The familiar scent of sweetvender and jasmine tea greeted me. Although it was disappointing because I was certainly expecting something more witchy, like the smell of wood smoke and herbs rushing through my nostrils. I guess I needed to update my thoughts.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said as I walked in.


    Nikkei sat on a blue velvet cushion by the small firece, with a book open on herp. Her gaze flicked up from the page. She didn¡¯t look away from it neither did she look at me. It was as though no one was speaking. But I was there for a reason, even if she chose not to assist me anymore, I could live with that.


    ¡°Do you need a witch¡¯s help?¡± She asked still staring at the pages of the book.


    ¡°No, I came to see you. Nikkei,¡± I paused exhaling forcefully, ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t want to see me or talk to me again but I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± she called out her voice was unexpectedly calm.


    ¡°If you want to talk to me then you should have a seat. Tea?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I was surprised by her calmness.


    I shuffled across the thick Persian rug being self-conscious under her gaze. No one spoke for a while and the silence felt long. It became too heavy and suffocating. I knew that I should speak. Perhaps state the reason why I hade. But her silence wasn¡¯t making it any easier for me. Or maybe it was my guilt.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Nikkei.¡±


    Finally I spoke out. And just then I felt a bit at peace. I knew it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    She closed the book with a soft thud.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± I mumbled, avoiding her eyes.


    ¡°For yelling at you. I shouldn¡¯t have said those words to you. I was out of line. I¡¯m deeply sorry.¡±


    ¡°You know, you really do not have to be here. You shouldn¡¯t even apologize for anything.¡±


    ¡°Why? I hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You possess powers that no one has ever witnessed before. Asides that, you are to be mated to the King. Soon, you¡¯ll be my queen and I¡¯ll be your subordinate. So all of this closure is not needed. You can do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t say that. I can never see you as that. I don¡¯t belong here. I don¡¯t even deserve any of this. Even when you didn¡¯t know me you still treated me right. You spoke to me with so much kindness and treated me like a true friend. But instead I hurt you. I didn¡¯t realize what a friend you are until I said those words. That is why I don¡¯t just need your forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°You have my forgiveness in fact I was never mad at you.¡±


    ¡°I know you Nikkei at least I think I do. You don¡¯t need to be mad to ept an apology. I need your true forgiveness Nikkei. That¡¯s the only way for me to know that you are okay.¡±


    There was silence again. And then, Nikkei left the seat to a table where she poured out some tea in two cups. She handed one to me.


    ¡°Here, we can talk about this properly if you¡¯d like,¡± she spoke her voice was gentle.


    I smiled and took the cup then I perched on the edge of a chair. As I took a sip from the cup, I felt the guilt that once burned in my throat, gradually reduced.

 CHAPTER 100: STONE OF REDEMTION II

    ¡°Its okay ra. After I left that day, I came back here to have a cup of tea. It calmed me and made me realize that I was tensed. With all that is going on, we have allowed it to consume us that we begin to mix up our feelings. I let go of mine that very day. So don¡¯t worry ra, you have my true forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I just¡­ I want to learn how to control my powers. This whole wolf thing is terrifying, and I feel so lost in this pce. Everything is just happening so fast. I feel like if I can master this powers then I¡¯ll be able to defend myself and finally be useful,¡± I said and watched her. Then she smiled.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°It¡¯s alright to feel scared, ra. This is a big change. But fear can be a powerful teacher too, if you let it guide you instead of consume you.¡±


    ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    ¡°I can show you. Its part of our training anyway.¡±


    Her words eased me. I caught her eyes just as I looked at her before she turned to another direction. Her dark eyes held no judgment, only peace.


    ¡°It pains me whenever I remember that I took my frustration out on you. You don¡¯t deserve that. You¡¯ve been nothing but patient with me.¡±


    Nikkei offered a small smile. ¡°Patience is a witch¡¯s greatest tool, ra. And sometimes, the strongest lessonse finely wrapped in a bad feeling like frustration. These ancient texts talk about a fire within every werewolf. But a fire needs a gentle hand to guide it, not a forceful one trying to tame it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ you sound like a true witch,¡± I chuckled.


    She smiled again, ¡°look ra, it is fine truly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear that,¡± I rushed in for a hug and she held me tightly.


    ¡°Its so good to have you back,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°And you acted like you didn¡¯t even miss me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. And that reminds me. I found something that could help with your powers.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked piqued with curiosity.


    ¡°Hold on let me get it.¡±


    She stood up and walked to a carved wooden chest tucked into a corner. She picked up a smooth, fist-sized stone. The surface of the stone was cold on my skin as she dropped it on my hand.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked looking at it.


    ¡°Focus on the stone. Feel its strength, its weight. Them channel your fear, your frustration, all that pent-up emotion, into the stone.¡±


    I closed my eyes, concentrating on the coolness of the stone in my hand. Images began to flicker in my mind. Gradually, I pushed those emotions towards the stone.


    I was overwhelmed at how a stone could make me feel that. The stone grew warm in my hand, then pulsed with a faint, white light. My breathing became stable. I was doing it. I was channelling my emotions.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m doing it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, hold that feeling. But don¡¯t try to force it. Let it flow through you, and imagine directing it outwards, into the stone.¡± Nikkei¡¯s voice was soft but firm.


    As I concentrated, I could see the picture of the white light intensifying . The stone became warmer in my hand which grew almost ufortable, but I held on. With a final push, I imagined the light bursting from the stone and my eyes snapped open. The stone was still in my hand, but the faint white light lingered around it a little longer before finally disappearing.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked but she only smiled.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Relieved? Don¡¯t know the best word that fits the description but its like I have this new sense of aplishment.¡±


    I stared at Nikkei, unsure of her reaction.


    But she smiled.


    ¡°There you see, ra,¡± she began, ¡°The power is already within you. You just needed to learn to tap into it, to guide it, even within these walls of the pce.¡±


    I felt much lighter like the weight if the guilt had been lifted from my shoulders.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Now,¡± Nikkei continued, her eyes twinkled, ¡°with your little ability to control your powers, perhaps we can discuss something a little more¡­ celebratory?¡± She grinned.


    My smile widened. ¡°Celebratory? That¡¯s a way to describe it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said, ¡°the mating ceremony, is something of joy and should be celebrated no matter what.¡±


    Blood rushed to my cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to start the preparations,¡± I said, meeting Nikkei¡¯s gaze, ¡°Tell me what we need to do.¡±


    Nikkei chuckled, ¡°you already got it covered. Just tell me when you want to start. I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°I think I would go with both the traditional natured and themunity natured ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Alright. This is going to be pretty huge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kiran and I have agreed on that.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the first thing on the list?¡± She asked.


    ¡°As usual, the traditional natured ceremony woulde first. And I would like to start with the bonfire night.¡±


    ¡°Bonfire night? That hasn¡¯t happened in a long time. Here, people just like to go with themunity natured.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is the mating ceremony of the Lycan King not just anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right.¡± Nikkei agreed.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Picking the desired location and the date. Since the main mating process will be in the presence of the white moon, I feel like other events shoulde sequentially which would prepare everyone for the mating ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get you.¡±


    Nikkei walked to her drawer and pulled out a book and pen.


    ¡°There would be a lot of things to be discussed so we have to take note,¡± she added.


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right.¡± I watched her with a smile.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked as she stared at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that you agreed to do this with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also happy to do this with you. So are we doing this or not? My hands are itching to write,¡± she said.


    ¡°It would be a five nights ceremony. There would be a bonfire event on the first night. A feast. A ball. Then I would have mydies night before the main mating ceremony which woulde up at exactly the time that the moon would be up.¡±


    ¡°The main event?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah the main event.¡±


    ¡°Okay there, you can have it. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.¡±


    I took the note from her hand and looked through it. It was just perfect but I needed to run it through Kieran first just in case he had anything else in mind.


    ¡°I like,¡± I nodded, ¡°but I need to take to Kieran first. See what he thinks about it. You know I¡¯m not doing this alone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah of course.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I would also ask him about the location for the bonfire he would know a good spot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go now,¡± Nikkei chuckled.


    I could see the joy in her eyes. She was just as excited as I was. I had never thought about the mating event in the way that she made me think about it.

 CHAPTER 101: CLARA’S SUSPICION

    I left Nikkei¡¯s chambers with a spring in my step. I knew where I needed to be. For once, it felt right. Like I was actually going to do this. The walk to Kieran¡¯s quarters that usually would feel like a long trek because I would be soaked in my thoughts now seemed to fly by. I finally felt something that I didn¡¯t usually feel, happiness, that was the word. I slowed down as I got to the door of his chambers.


    I raised my hand to knock but just as my knuckles were about to hit the door, I heard a muffled voice drifting through the thick wood of the door. But that wasn¡¯t it. It got a bit loud, like he was quarrelling with someone over the phone. My hand hovered for a bit and then curiosity piqued. I ced my ear in the door. It was wrong but I needed to know what I was walking into. Of course it was Kieran, his voice was low and urgent. I didn¡¯t hear any other voice but he still spoke and so I assumed that he might be talking over the phone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°you know it has to be her and no one else. Look, everything is going ording to how we nned. The full moon is in two weeks, just as we discussed. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle everything. This will be over quickly.¡±


    The words being cryptic wasn¡¯t the issue, after all, he was the Lycan King. Must of his engagements are supposed to be ssified but the coldness in Kieran¡¯s voice got me thinking. Who was he talking to? What n? I stared at my hand, which had been about to knock. I hade for a reason and I wasn¡¯t about to go without an answer. So I knocked softly just two taps and the conversation inside stopped. A tense silence followed before the door creaked open and Kieran walked out.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said.


    ¡°ra,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you anytime soon. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I just came to see you,¡± I replied, ¡°Nikkei and I were discussing the mating ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, the ceremony, started preparations already,¡± he said, brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°How delightful.¡± His voicecked its usual tone.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± he smiled ushering me in.


    ¡°Is there anyone in?¡±


    ¡°Anyone? Like who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I heard voices,¡± K said.


    ¡°That was me on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah I thought as much. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Like is there anything that I should know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not at all. Now, lets get back to why you are here.¡±


    The uneasiness in me only got worse. There was something obviously off about Kieran. He was hiding something, it¡¯s like I could almost feel it. His usual yful banter or endless habit of always wanting to tease me was reced by this nervous energy. I didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked narrowing my gaze.


    He cleared his throat, avoiding my eyes. ¡°Wrong? No, no, everything¡¯s fine. Just¡­ busy with some kingly duties,¡± he smirked.


    I wasn¡¯t buying it.


    First the cryptic conversation through the phone call, his forced smile, and his scanty words  it all pointed to something more. But I just couldn¡¯t ce it yet.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I pressed further my voice was firm.


    Kieran sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. ¡°Look, ra,¡± he began, then stopped, like he battled with the words. Finally, he spoke out, ¡°Maybe we should talk about thister. I have a meeting in ten minutes.¡±


    The meeting excuse felt like a lie. Or maybe it was the way I hade to see it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied and turned to leave.


    ¡°ra,¡± he called out and I turned towards him again.


    ¡°You said you wanted to show me something. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll juste backter. Probably when you are a little less busy,¡± I forced a smile and walked out squeezing the paper in my grip.


    The marble floor felt cold beneath my worn slippers as I hurried down the hallway. The scent of newly polished wood and fresh flowers  hung heavy in the air. I guess everyone has already began to get ready for the ceremony. Everyone except me. I thought I was ready. The churning in my stomach resumed.


    Just as I rounded a corner, Nikkei walked up. Nearly bumping on each other. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she seemed to be in a hurry.


    ¡°ra, there you are,¡± Nikkei said.


    ¡°I guess you were looking for me.¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here now. Sorry I took too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I just received a message. I need to be at the de by nightfall. Turns out I¡¯ll be leading the chants.¡±


    ¡°The de?¡± I repeated, ¡°Isn¡¯t that where¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nikkei confirmed, ¡°A coven matter. But it can wait. Tell me, how did your meeting with Kieran go?¡±


    I had expected the question but still didn¡¯t have enough time to think of an answer.


    ¡°I-¡± I began, then hesitated, ¡°the truth is, I haven¡¯t been able to tell Kieran anything. He was already on his way out when I arrived at his chambers. He was gone. But I¡¯ll tell him everythingter.¡±


    I noticed her brows furrowing slightly. ¡°Is everything alright, ra? You seem troubled.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t exin the suspicion I had under my skin. Kieran¡¯s behavior was unusual, but I couldn¡¯t just tell her about it or the fact that I had decided to slow down a bit. She wouldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said, forcing a smile. ¡°Just a long day. You should go for your meeting. We would continue the preparation when you return.¡±


    I hoped that she wouldn¡¯t return in time. I still wasn¡¯t ready.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll figure it all out together. Now, about this ceremony don¡¯t take your mind off it. You can keep thinking about it until Ie back.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you can go, we can brainstormter,¡± I said with a genuine smile this time. ¡°Right now, you have a coven gathering to attend to,¡± I added.


    Nikkei squeezed my hand for a while.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    As Nikkei hurried away, I continued down the hallway. I couldn¡¯t shake it off. Those eyes of his like there was so etching behind them. The mating ceremony was something I took to another level so I didn¡¯t want to have any reason to doubt Kieran. I had trusted him for so long but it still didn¡¯t feel enough.


    I shut the door with a soft thud as soon as I got in. Nikkei¡¯s words echoed in my mind, yet they did little to take away the suspicion that had crept in.


    Kieran¡¯s secretive behavior, his sudden request for me to handle the mating ceremony  it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that didn¡¯t quite fit. Was I being paranoid? Or was there something more, something Kieran wasn¡¯t telling me? Everything still went down to that.


    Maybe the weight of the ceremony pressed down on me. Mating a Lycan King wasn¡¯t small. And now this uneasiness. I took a deep breath trying to focus on the familiar warmth of the rug beneath my bare feet. But the fear clung to me and cold sweat prickled my skin.

 CHAPTER 102: EACH PASSING DAY

    I managed to stay in for a while. Nikkei might be caught up in what she was doing because she had not stop by as she said that she would. My n was easy. Find out what Kieran was up to and then proceed with the preparations before the white moon. So at maximum, I had less than a few days to do my little findings. But I haven¡¯t gotten the guts to leave the room yet and face him. Deep down I was scared of what I would find.


    I had just been pulled out from my nap from the knock on the door. It was Nikkei.


    ¡°Hey,e in,¡± I ushered her in.


    ¡°Sorry I took so long to finish up.¡±


    ¡°Oh no its fine. How long has it been? Just a couple of days. You needed the reset,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, it seems like that makes two of us. Have you spoken to Kieran yet, ra?¡± she asked.


    I hesitated feeling a strange tightness in my throat. How could I exin the emotions that swirled within me  suspicion, fear, and a stench of betrayal?


    Nikkei¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I walked towards the window.


    ¡°I can sense that there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me. And this is not a witch thing.¡± Her voice was gentle and a bit firm. And I felt safe to speak.


    I took a deep breath, ¡°I don¡¯t trust Kieran.¡± The words hung heavy in the air, for a while.


    Nikkei¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I suspect something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Remember that day that I was supposed to meet Kieran and ask about the location of the bonfire and other things?¡±


    ¡°The day you ditched me? Yeah, I remember.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened,¡± I eyed her.


    ¡°Anyway, what happened?¡±


    ¡°When I arrived at Kieran¡¯s chambers I heard his voice like a hushed conversation. It had this cryptic urgency in it. So I felt that I should wait outside for a while. And then I heard him say something,¡± I paused and swallowed.


    ¡°Heard him say what? What did you hear him say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll quote him  he said ¡®you know it has to be her and no one else. Then he said that everything was going ording to how they had nned. He also said that the full moon is in two weeks, just as they had discussed. They? Who are this they? The werewolf council members?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit cryptic but this could be anything. It might just be another Lycan King¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. He ended the call the moment I knocked ¡°but that was before I heard him mention something about needing ¡®more power.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°He had this look on his face when he saw me,¡± I continued.


    ¡°What look?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Like he didn¡¯t want to see me at that time. It was weird because I always came around.¡±


    ¡°Did you ask him about it?¡±


    ¡°I did ask but not directly and he lied to me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°I do. You have to calm down. What are your fears?¡±


    ¡°What if he is just like Ryan and I just don¡¯t know yet? Maybe he just wants my powers for himself just like everyone else and this mating ceremony is the only way to get that? Oh God, it is terrifying because I trust him and I don¡¯t want that to change.¡±


    ¡°Then keep trusting him. You can ask him  directly if the need arises.¡±


    ¡°Will he not think that I¡¯m overstepping? Especially if it turns out that I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°If it gets to that point.¡±


    ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t been there to hear all this because now I feel that I shouldn¡¯t trust him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do what needs to be done because trust is all that is needed to make this ceremony a sess. And if that is missing, then you shouldn¡¯t be doing this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Right now, just watch closely and don¡¯t allow your past experiences to cloud your judgment. Don¡¯t let it get to your head again.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m overreacting?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a little,¡± Nikkei said, her smile widened. ¡°Kieran may be secretive, but he¡¯s not Ryan. The Lycan have a deep respect for theirdies and Kieran would never dream of harming you.¡±


    Her words somehow soothed me reducing the beating of my heart. ¡°Its just the conversation. The power he mentioned.¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons why a Lycan King might need more power,¡± she exined. ¡°Perhaps the threat to the pack from the members of the council. That maybe it and you don¡¯t expect him to share information with you especially now that you have been given a tasks.¡±


    What she said felt right.


    ¡°Then, I think I need to see Kieran,¡± I mumbled.


    Nikkei chuckled. ¡°Yeah you would, but before you go running off, there¡¯s something else we need to discuss.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This ceremony, ra,¡± Nikkei said, her eyes twinkled. ¡°Kieran has left everything in your hands for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know. And I will continue with the preparations but not today. Its been a while we trained. Let¡¯s do that first,¡± I smiled.


    She nodded, ¡°Okay,¡± I knew that she wasn¡¯t buying it.


    ¡­.


    It was a beautiful morning, the sunlight ran in through the window and the door as soon as I opened it. There was a grip in my stomach as Kieran entered my room.


    ¡°Hey Kieran, I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I know. I¡¯m sorry for just showing up like that I just wanted to know how the preparations for the ceremony ising along.¡±


    I shifted ufortably, as I thought about the question. I knew that I¡¯d been purposefully dying any real nning. Nikkei¡¯s reassurances had calmed my anxieties somewhat, but I still felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a lot to consider,¡± I stammered, as I searched  for more words that would make sense for an excuse. ¡°The rituals, the guests¡­¡±


    Kieran¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°We can discuss the details,¡± he said calmly. ¡°But surely you have some ideas in mind?¡±


    I did. In fact, I had notebooks filled with sketches and ideas and Nikkei willing to give out more. But now sharing them with Kieran felt off.


    ¡°I just want everything to be perfect,¡± I finally managed the words although it sounded hollow even to my own ears and hard to believe but I hoped that he would buy it.


    Kieran¡¯s looked at me and I looked away.


    ¡°Perfect is subjective, ra. What matters most is that the ceremony reflects our bond.¡±


    There was a hint of something in his voice, a tremor of an emotion I couldn¡¯t quite understand. Was it frustration? Disappointment? Or a little of both.


    Before I could respond, he turned to leave. ¡°Take your time with the preparations,¡± he said, ¡°But remember, until the mating bond is done, you are not under my full protection. I will not be able to help you ra. Please I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt when there is something I could have done. I can¡¯t live with regrets again.¡±


    His words left me tensed. It reminded me of everything, the main reason why he had suggested it in the first ce. From the dangers that lurked outside the pce walls. To the fear that came with having my powers.


    Kieran reached the doorway, his hand hovered on the knob.


    ¡°Think carefully, ra,¡± he said over his shoulder, in a low rumble.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to bear the consequences of dying.¡±


    With those words, he disappeared. I still heard the words echoing in my ear. I wanted to call him back and tell him what had been eating me up and making me slow down on the ceremony. But I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it and so, I just let him go.

 CHAPTER 103: THE ACCIDENT

    Kieran sat beside me as we drove through the night. We were headed to a Lycan gathering several hours away. And Kieran had asked me to apany him. Something about making us feeling like a couple in the eyes of the people. We were followed by two other cars carrying heavily armed guards.


    The air between us was filled with tension. And the thought about Kieran¡¯s reminder about myck of full protection did not leave my mind. I took a nce at him, searching for anything that might help give meaning but his face remained firm. It was the way it had been from the beginning of the journey. Although sometimes, he would stare and smile and I would try to return it before looking away.


    The event was like the usual. Exquisite with the finest outfit and wine. I saw the way that they looked at us. Especially thedies, they would whisper amongst themselves as Kieran was all around me. We needed to make it real that was the n. And I tried so much to even if I resented sometimes.


    By the time the event was over and we got back on the road, it was in absolute darkness. The skiescked the stars and if not of the headlight, we wouldn¡¯t see the road. The headlights carved a narrow path through the ckness. Then, with a screech of tires, our car swerved. The driver had been listening to an old country song nodding to it slightly I didn¡¯t know if he didn¡¯t see the log ahead of us. All I knew what that we were going to die.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine what was happening as it happened so fast but all I could do was scream. The car lurched as the tires lost bnce against the road. The car spun and we tumbled. It threw me  against the hard leather seat. I felt the pain in my shoulder as the car mmed on the side of the road.


    I gasped for breath holding my head as it finally came to a stop. I tried to free myself from the seatbelt. A searing pain passed through my leg  I couldn¡¯t hold back as tears rushed out of my eyes. Crying wouldn¡¯t solve anything but it was a sign that I was still alive. I couldn¡¯t say the same for the driver as he didn¡¯t move. My heart thumped watching his motionless body. At that point, I turned to were Kieran was seated but he wasn¡¯t there. A million and one things came to mind. But I couldn¡¯t bare to think that he might be hurt.


    I turned to the driver again but he still didn¡¯t move and the feeling resumed. That guilt that clutched in the back of my head. I don¡¯t know how the ident rted to me but I knew that it just did. Somehow every bad thing that had urred was linked to me. I didn¡¯t need a witch to tell me that.


    Suddenly, I felt a strong arm pulled me from the window and ced me gently on the ground. It was Kieran.


    ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m d you are okay,¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°ra, are you okay? Stay with me, ra,¡± he said. He applied pressure on my back taking me up.


    ¡°Yes I think I¡¯m good but I can¡¯t say the same for the driver. He is not moving,¡± I managed to say.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Let me pull him. Oh God, I hope that he is okay. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll tell his family if anything happens to him.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope nothing happens to him,¡± I said.


    Kieran went back towards the car, I still heard the gritty voice of the music ying from the stereo. I tried to sit up and watch as Kieran pulled him out of the car.


    ¡°He still has a pulse.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank God,¡± my breath escaped from my lips in relief.


    ¡°We need to get him to the hospital. Where are this people?¡±


    ¡°I thought they were just behind us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they signaled that they would stop for fuel at the gas station.¡±


    ¡°We could have just waited for them. Now we are lost in this woods and that sign says that it¡¯s a danger zone,¡± I said rubbing my hands against each other. I had began to feel the cold of the night.


    ¡°What sign? You are cold ra,¡± he noticed and took off his jacket.


    ¡°No Kieran, you need it too,¡± I refused.


    ¡°But you need it more,¡± he insisted. And finally, I gave in allowing myself the warmth from the jacket and I wasn¡¯t so cold anymore.


    ¡°You said there was a sign?¡±


    ¡°Yes, over there,¡± I pointed towards the woods.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± he gasped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? This is not at a good spot. We need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Why what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Just when I thought that it was over, I began to feel even more cold that even the jacket could not keep me warm.


    Just then, we heard a growling from within the woods and then, cracks from snapping branches and ruffled up dry leaves. Something wasing.


    ¡°We need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡± I pointed to the driver.


    ¡°He is going to be fine. Whatever ising doesn¡¯t attack someone that is unconscious.¡±


    ¡°What ising?¡± I swallowed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere safe and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Kieran tried to lift me up. As we moved a bit, we stumbled back just as a figure emerged from the woods. Its eyes glowed and it snarled.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked watching the figure approach us. All  I could see were the red glowing eyes. My legs shivered but my lengthy dress covered it so Kieran wouldn¡¯t know how terrified I was as I tried topose. My eyes had begin to feel hot.


    ¡°We are at its territory. The crash might have woken it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, I shouldn¡¯t havee,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he put me down beside the car.


    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± I asked holding on to him.


    ¡°I can take it out. Maybe buy us some time before the guards arrive.¡±


    ¡°What about me? What if there are more?¡±


    ¡°I just want to hold it off for as long as I can before the guards would catch up to us.¡±


    I had never been more terrified. My hands shivered as I watched Kieran walk towards the woods. In a bit I would be alone. The driver had been unconscious for so long he might have hit his head hard. This was it, the point where I needed the protection, maybe it was a sign.


    My mind and body rxed as I sighted the headlight from the car that carried the guards. They emerged from their vehicles.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We had an ident. I think the driver was over speeding and there was a log.¡±


    ¡°Where is our King?¡±


    I pointed towards the woods, ¡°he said he wanted to hold it off. I don¡¯t know what.¡±


    Some of the guards joined Kieran into the darkness. While some helped the driver into the car. Kieran arrived just as they had gone in. I didn¡¯t know if he had taken down the shadowy figure. But he grabbed me and led me into the vehicle.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked.


    Tears pricked my eyes it was a mixture of fear and a strange sense of gratitude.


    I nodded, ¡°My leg,¡± I choked out, the pain had be a dull and less.


    He examined my leg with a soft touch and I couldn¡¯t help but just look at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing a healer can¡¯t fix,¡± he assured me.


    But as he spoke I thought about all that had transpired the past days. It dawned on me.  He was right. Without the mating bond, I was vulnerable. The attack could have ended very differently if not for Kieran and the guards. I had let my fear cloud my judgment just as Nikkei had warned me against dying the ceremony out of a suspicion. Seeing  firsthand the very danger Kieran had warned me about.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I said, my voice trembling slightly, ¡°about the ceremony¡­ I think I¡¯m ready.

 CHAPTER 104: MOONLIGHT ON WATER

    I didn¡¯t want the five days event week anymore. What I wanted was to get it done. I had dyed so much that the white moon was just in a few days. And so, I still needed to prepare.


    As soon as I got back to the pce, I went to Nikkei. I rushed in for a hug as soon as she saw her.


    ¡°You were right. I was so scared.¡± I said, my voice held a tearful edge.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay ra. So what do you want to do.¡±


    ¡°Lets get a dress,¡± I said.


    Nikkei and I shuffled ourselves through the packs of pce folks. Their voices resounded against the walls as they all spoke at once. Thest time I had gone to that part of the pce, I was not weed by anyone. And that was thest time that I had seen Donna. The air was filled with nervous energy not the usual jovial nature that I was expecting. I guess mating Kieran came with a lot of feelings. Kieran¡¯s mating ceremony was the talk of the town, and everyone seemed to have an opinion about it. But I was unfortunate to hear only the opinion of the people who saw me as a gold digger. The one that had betrayed my people so I would have a fair share of wealth.


    I was termed many things. A weakling and Alpha yer. I guess that was more of apliment than a cause. Well, until I overheard one of them saying that I would do to Kieran the same things that I had done to Ryan. I couldn¡¯t understand why they would suddenly turn against me. Ryan was the one with the killer instinct and not me. And then, as I walked past todies, one of them whispered but it was more like she wanted me to hear it.


    ¡°She is lucky,¡± she said. That was the first goodpliment. Or so I thought.


    ¡°Lucky?¡± The other one asked.


    ¡°Yes, she is mating the King.¡±


    ¡°She is only taking the ex-mate ce. Do you think the king would ever love her? You know how much he loved his real mate.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But Katherine is gone. He should move on.¡±


    ¡°Real love never dies,¡± I looked at her and she turned immediately and they both left.


    ¡°This is a bad idea. I think I should go,¡± I said to Nikkei.


    ¡°Why? But we just got here.¡±


    ¡°Everyone seems to have an opinion about this. Its frustrating hearing them talk about me. They see me as a gold digger and a killer. How can I live with that? I don¡¯t even want to talk about the part that they don¡¯t think that I¡¯m good for their king.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them. Remember why you are doing this,¡± Nikkei said, her voice was steady and calm.


    I exhaled.


    ¡°Take your mind off all of that and think about why you are here. Today is about finding the perfect dress, not pce gossip. Soon you¡¯ll be queen. Start acting like one.¡±


    Easier said than done. My stomach churned as she said those words. I was excited somehow. Marrying a Lycan king, especially one as formidable as Kieran, was a lot to process.


    The fashion center was like a dazzling maze of glittering fabrics and mannequins. A ce I should have been long before. It had been ages since I had went shopping with the girls. I used to do that with Racheal but now, I could barely remember what she sounded like. How time flies. I wish I could tell her that I was finally going to be mated. Not to anyone else, but to a king. I would kill for the look on her face.


    We navigated the aisles, dodging yful nudges and as usual, the curious stares. I saw Nikkei as many things and a fashionista was one of them. I just hoped that she wouldn¡¯t go for the creepy dresses. I just needed something in and simple. But she would never agree to that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple you¡¯ll like. Get ready to try them on.¡± She pointed out dresses that caught her eye  a sapphire gown, it caught my eyes too and then she picked out a sleek emerald dress too, that underlined my curves.


    ¡°This is gorgeous,¡± I said mimicking a walk as I stared ay the mirror, ¡°What do you think? Should we go for this?¡±


    ¡°This is all you ra. Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take it,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s lovely. That would be for tonight¡¯s outing.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was the mating dress.¡±


    ¡°That? Come on ra, it seems you don¡¯t get who you are about to be. So don¡¯t think that we would be leaving here with just one dress.¡± She winked. I didn¡¯t know that it was just the beginning of the many hours of shopping.


    I tried on a few more dresses the silks and satins gave unfamiliar caress against my skin. But none felt quite right. They were all too¡­ regal, too stiff. I wanted something that reflected my personality, my dual heritage as ra and then as a queen.


    I had rejected half of what was given to me. I saw the lines on the eyes of thedies that tried to help. Stress dawned on me. I sank onto a plush stool tracing the detailed embroidery on a crimson dress with my fingers as we rested.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s nothing here for me,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Nikkei said. She frowned. But there was nothing I could do to want the dresses I didn¡¯t like. I wouldn¡¯t feel like me wearing them.


    ¡°There has to be a dress that makes you feel like the fierce, beautiful woman you are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have literally turned this ce inside out, there is nothing. Maybe its time to leave. We can check other ces tomorrow. Or get the local seamstress sew us something.¡±


    ¡°If you need a dress for a ceremony as big as this, then this is the right ce to be. I know there is something here. We aren¡¯t just looking in the right direction.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, Nikkei wasn¡¯t the one to give up and so I had to be patient with her until she saw it for herself. As I turned, a sh of silver caught my eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡± I asked as I moved closely to it. ced in a corner, almost hidden amongst a rack of mboyant gowns, was a dress unlike any other. It was crafted from a material that shimmered like moonlight on water. Silver embroidery swirled across the bodice, just like the moon.


    ¡°This,¡± I whispered. I couldn¡¯t help that I was drawn to it.


    ¡°Can I have that?¡± I asked one of thedies.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She helped me with the dress.


    It fit perfectly. The fabric cool was cool weightless against my skin. As I twirled in front of the mirror, the skirt flowed around me. It was simple yet striking, powerful yet elegant. It was me.


    Nikkei¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°ra,¡± she choked out, her voice thick with emotion, ¡°you look radiant.¡±


    I felt the warmth rushing over me. In that dress, I didn¡¯t just see myself as ra, the unsure ve girl. I saw ra, Kieran¡¯s mate, the future queen of the Lycan. A queen who would embrace her power and stand by her king¡¯s side.


    We came out of the changing room, and for a moment, the entire market fell silent. All eyes were on me, the bride-to-be. I held my head high, a renewed confidence blooming in my chest.


    Nikkei, who had been waiting by the entrance smiled just as she saw me again.


    ¡°ra, you are breathtaking. Kieran would be so lucky to have you.¡±


    At that moment, I didn¡¯t think about anything or anyone but myself. I found my courage again. I was ready to be with Kieran. For me, It wasn¡¯t just about the mating ceremony. It was about two souls finding each other, about embracing the future, uncertainties and everything that came with ruling a kingdom.

 CHAPTER 105: THE MATING CEREMONY

    The week flew by and I almost forgot about the ident. But something in me changed after that day. The night of the ceremony arrived, blessed in the cool embrace of a white full moon. Just as I had ways wanted.


    The endless flutter in my stomach made me nervous. I stood before the grand mirror in the dress Nikkei and I had gotten. Nikkei brushed and adorned my hair with ornaments. She weaved silver moonlight flowers into them.


    ¡°There,¡± she said, stepping back with a satisfied smile across her lips.


    ¡°You look radiant, ra.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I met my gaze in the mirror. Gone was the scared little girl of a week ago. Now, I was a woman getting ready to be a queen.


    The ceremony was held in the heart of the pce gardens. Where the moon¡¯s light most showed. The air vibrated with the soft humming of the gathered Alpha¡¯s, I could recognize some of them from the werewolf council meeting. They hade to witness if it was all a make believe. I didn¡¯t me them. Even I didn¡¯t believe it at first.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go. They are all waiting,¡± Nikkei said, she had a blue dress on. And some strange traditional markings on her face. I took her hands as she led me under the light of the moon.


    Their eyes glowed as soon as Nikkei walked me in.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Rx, they are just showing their respect,¡± she whispered.


    Kieran stood at the altar, he had a ck suit on. As I walked towards him, my heart hammered with the rhythmic pounding of the drums. I could feel it in my chest.


    The ceremony was a beautiful blend of Lycan tradition and witch magic. Thanks to Nikkei¡¯s creative ideas. I stood in front of Kieran and faced him. His eyes had been on me ever since I walked towards him. It was hard not to notice.


    ¡°You are beautiful,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°We are not supposed to talk,¡± I said, ¡°but you aren¡¯t bad yourself,¡± I said.


    ¡°We are gathered here today for a mating ceremony between our king and his mate, ra. Today is indeed a great day because the goddess of the white moon had blessed this union with her light. Now its time to exchange your vows,¡± the town¡¯s cleric said.  This vows were promises whispered under the watchful gaze of the moon. So every word said was important. He held a small book and first handed it to Kieran. Kieran took the book and looked at me. Then he began reading through it.


    ¡°Today I stand before the white moon, the cleric, my people and you ra. I promise to guide you, not just as your king but as your mate. I would protect you as long as we are bonded. In whatever condition I find myself. My heart would beat for you and I shall be yours as you are mine.¡±


    I didn¡¯t take my eyes away from his lips. I felt like that was the only way to perfectly hear him.


    He gave the book back to the cleric and the gave it to me. I said my vows. Making sure that I pronounced each words properly. After which  I handed the book back to the cleric.


    ¡°We have heard you both. And we have witnessed it. So as the moon. Your union is blessed. Now its time for the marking.¡±


    The marking was the first step in sealing the bond. Kieran held my gaze, his glowing eyes filled with an emotion that sent thrills through me.


    Nikkei stepped forward and began chanting in an ancient tongue as she drew a circle of moonlight energy around us. As Kieran leaned in, his touch made me quaver. I felt a surge of power course through me, a connection deeper than anything I had ever experienced. He took off the veil and gave a bite on my neck. It was painful but arousing leaving a scar.


    The blood from my neck and his saliva created a mystical connection that bonded us for life. I shut my eyes savoring on the pain. Images shed before my eyes. Like our most cherished moments together Kieran being strong and protective, ourughter echoing through sun-patched meadows. I could see our future. It was filled with love and a shared destiny. With this, we would be able to sense each others emotions


    When the visions faded away, I found myself looking into Kieran¡¯s eyes. And it¡¯s like we shared this understanding. The fear and suspicion that once overwhelmed me was gone. Instead, it was reced by a certainty as deep and steady as the bond that was now between us.


    ¡°You may kiss your bride,¡± the cleric said. Without wasting further time, Kieran leaned close and kissed my lips. The people cheered. I sensed the joyous chorus in their voices. They were celebrating the union of their King and his Queen. And now with the first stage of the bondingplete, the second stage was to consummate our union. ording to Nikkei, it would make us have a stronger connection. Making love to Kieran was something I didn¡¯t intend to do. It was never part of the n. I promised myself that I would not put myself in such position again and I was going to keep to that promise.


    The morning sun streamed through the bedroom window. It casted a warm glow over Kieran and I as we were curled up in each other¡¯s arms. It was our first morning as a couple.


    The room would have been quiet of not the gentle rise and fall of our breaths.


    As I turned, Kieran opened his eyes revealing a sleepy smile.


    ¡°Good morning, Kieran,¡± I murmured, my voice was still husky with sleep even if I had been awake for a while.


    Kieran moved closer, he trailed his hands down my back.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he replied, his voice was low and deep.


    I took his hands off my back.


    ¡°You have to stop.¡±


    ¡°Why? You are mine now.¡±


    I eyed him.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything remember?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s all nned but we still have to make it real. The people are still watching. I¡¯m not asking that we consummate are bond. I just want to hold you.


    ¡°Well, It¡¯s morning,¡± I sat up.


    Kieranid in silence.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡±


    Kieran turned his head to face me, his brow furrowed slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± I assured him quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I realized that I rely too much on tying to learn how to use my powers. I want to be able to defend myself, even without them.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s gaze softened.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very mature thought, ra,¡± he said gently. ¡°And it¡¯s something you should definitely learn.¡±


    ¡°I know right? I mean I need to be able to be able to defend myself and this people now that I¡¯m queen. It would be an honor if I learn from the best. Would you teach me?¡± I asked.


    Kieran smiled. ¡°Of course I would. In fact, I think we should start right away.¡±


    ¡°This is supposed to be our honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t doing any honeymoon activity so its best we start.¡±


    He sat up and pulled me close to him.


    ¡°Yeah, you are right,¡± I took my hands away from his.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± he said.


    ¡°It would take some time.¡±


    After about an hour, we moved to the training room, arge space in the back of the pce. It was Kieran¡¯s training space. It was equipped for martial arts practice.


    The room was filled with mats, punching bags, and various other training equipment. Kieran led me to the center of the room. Where we set to begin.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that we are doing this. Thank you for agreeing to help me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just training my queen,¡± he winked, ¡°Come on ra  its fine. I can do with some training myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so where do we begin?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d start from the basic self-defense moves.¡±

 CHAPTER 106: A TRAINING

    The rays of sunlight streamed through the windows. It casted long shadows across the wooden floor of the training hall. Sweat ran down my face from my forehead despite the cool morning air. My muscles twitched contracting as each swing of the wooden practice sword.


    Kieran ever agile and sweating as well circled me. He had be more determined in taking me on this practice than I who first talked about it. Since the ceremony, our training sessions had be a daily ritual and the unspoken tension between us had be too hard to ignore. Today, it felt sharper and much heavier.


    ¡°Again,¡± Kieran barked. He easily deflected the  swipe of my sword. His eyes was usually filled with yful arrogance that held a serious glint sent a wave of emotion. And it wasn¡¯t just any emotion.  I was anxious.


    I gritted my teeth and forced myself back into a defensive stance. The weight of the wooden sword weighed on my hand. Every muscle fiber in me screamed to retreat. I just wanted to go back to my bed and continue my morning nap. But whenever I tried to call it all off, maybe from having an aching arm from swinging too much or a painful back from having to do the tumbles. The memory of the attacks will resurface, and the fear that lurked just beneath the surface would poke me and I would be in the training room again. I didn¡¯t know for how long I would keep it up but I had to.


    As I pounced forward making an attempt at an offensive strike, Kieran effortlessly came on me, the wooden sword fell to the floor with a dull thud.


    ¡°Tired?¡± he asked moving towards me. His closeness made my breath to stop.  I could smell the earthy aura of him, a scent that had be strangelyforting in the past few weeks.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­ getting used to it,¡± I mumbled, avoiding his gaze as I bent down to retrieve the sword.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing ¡®just¡± about it,¡± Kieran said, his voice hit sharp.  He reached out to me and his hand brushed against mine as he took the sword from me. Just then, I felt it again, like a spark of current that shot through me, making me yank my hand away.


    ¡°Look, ra,¡± he began, his voice was softer now.  ¡°This is important. You¡¯re the Queen now. You need to be able to defend yourself. I was really d when you suggested this.¡±


    ¡°I know it is important. Just never done this before.¡±


    ¡°We can take a break if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to win this war.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just about war, ra. There are threats, dangers that lurk in the shadows.  You need to be prepared for anything. That¡¯s just what it is about. Let¡¯s not push it.¡±


    He was right, of course.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed forcing myself to meet his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡±


    Kieran nodded as a faint smile came on his lips.  We spent the next hour locked in the training hall.  He pushed me, testing my limits, his every movement was unique. It was hard to win him.   The more I fought, the more focused I became. It was like the world around us faded away until it was just me, him, and the wooden sword.


    As the training session drew to an end, I stood panting, my arms ached so bad that I felt it might pull out. Despite the pain, I was satisfied. I may not have been a warrior, but I was learning. I was getting stronger. I could feel it.


    Kieran stood across from me. I watched as his  chest heaved. He locked is gaze with mine and I looked away sharply


    For a moment we said nothing to each other it was more of an intense feeling.


    ¡°You¡¯re improving,¡± he finally said, his voice was rough maybe from being exhausted. I smiled. His words somehow sent a warmth to  my chest, a feeling I couldn¡¯t quite exin. Was it pride?  Or something else entirely?


    I cleared my throat, forcing myself to look away. ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled.  And then it a went quiet again. It was thick with unspoken emotions. At that point I wish I could read minds. I wanted to know what he really felt. What he thought of me. It felt important that I know because there was something building up in me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ clean up,¡± Kieran said finally, breaking the silence. I nodded and followed him out of the training hall.


    We got back to his chambers feeling all hot and sweaty.


    ¡°Do you want to go in first?¡± He asked.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The bathroom. I mean we are both very sticky.¡±


    ¡°No, you can go in first,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your chambers Kieran. I was thinking, maybe I should go back to mine.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep inconveniencing you especially at times like this.¡±


    ¡°You are my mate. What do you think the people will think if they find out that you¡¯ve moved out of my room during our honeymoon? It would only confirm their suspicion. ¡±


    I exhaled, ¡°but I can¡¯t keep doing this. To us, we are just room mates.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not how the people see it. And until the duration of the honeymoon is over. We act as mates, please. Come on you should be happy that we are doing this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay I understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now, you go in first. And there is no argument there.¡±


    After the cold shower, I retired to bed while Kieran went to his study.


    The rhythmic click of his quill against paper filled the otherwise quiet study. I walked out of bed after giving up on having any sleep. I sat curled up in an armchair by the window. But before I settled inpletely, I took up a book and ced it on myp. Opening each pages, its ancient words  blurred before my tired eyes.


    Weeks had passed since the ident and the mating ceremony. And our days had fallen into a routine  tiresome training sessions in the mornings, followed by some tedious queen duties in the afternoons. Evenings were mostly spent in silence in our shared chamber. It was supposed to be a merry honeymoon but I was forced to sit with the lie that bounded us.


    I let out a sigh and it echoed in the room. ncing up, I saw Kieran shift in his chair, his eyes met mine before going back to the document before him. He nced through the paged with core concentration as strand of his hair fell across his forehead.


    Suddenly, the urge to reach out, to brush that stray strand away, surprised me. I quickly ignored the urge and forced my gaze back to the book. This growing fondness for Kieran, this undeniable attraction, was a dangerous path I didn¡¯t want to tread on not after what had happened.


    ¡°Having trouble understanding that?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice rumbled breaking the silence. His tone held a hint of amusement.


    I scoffed and looked at him again.


    ¡°No more trouble than you seem to be having with whatever you¡¯re working on,¡± I retorted, my voice was sharper than what I had intended.


    Kieran raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Touche,¡± he said.


    We settled back into the silence, the only sound was from the rhythmic scratching of his quill and the rustle of turning pages. But the silence felt different now like it was charged with something.

 CHAPTER 107: I AM YOUR QUEEN

    I looked out the window, I couldn¡¯t tell the time but I knew that I had just spent an hour looking through a book that I did not understand. I was frustrated. All the time we spent together, forced together by circumstance, and yet, we remained as strangers that were bounded by a lie. What was more frustrating than that?


    ¡°So,¡± I finally said as I was unable to bear the silence any longer.  ¡°What is it exactly that you do as Lycan King?¡±


    Kieran looked up, ¡°Everything, I am responsible for the well-being of my people, for protecting our borders, for maintaining peace within the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°And what about me? What¡¯s my role in all of this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Queen, ra,¡± he said finally. ¡°You stand by my side, present a united front.¡±


    His words felt hollow.


    ¡°Is that all you see me as, Kieran?  A prop?¡±


    He met my gaze, ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.


    ¡°But what?¡± I asked.


    Kieran remained silent he clenched his jaw and his gaze still locked on mine. I didn¡¯t like the silence again. It felt like I would suffocate if I didn¡¯t say something.


    Just as I was about to speak, a loud knock on the door changed our gaze. I felt relieved a bit although, I was also unsatisfied.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Kiera ordered.


    The door creaked open, it was Alex and he looked worried.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he began, taking a bow.


    ¡°Your guests have arrived for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Guests?¡± He asked and I watched him.


    ¡°Yes, you acknowledged their invitation two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I can¡¯t believe I forgot about that. I would be at the grand diner shortly.¡±


    Alex bowed again and disappeared.


    ¡°Get dressed ra we have guests.¡±


    ¡°Guests? But this is our honeymoon. We shouldn¡¯t be having guests they should leave.¡±


    ¡°I already epted their invitation. We can¡¯t just tell them to leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, I don¡¯t fit I this. You should go alone.¡±


    ¡°No I can¡¯t. Who knows maybe it is one of the tests. They are friendly people. You don¡¯t even have to say much. Just get dressed please.


    I left the chair pushing the book aside.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded, ¡°I can do this,¡± after all, I had gotten enough dresses for such asions. At times like this, I needed Nikkei. But the honeymoon period had not allowed me see her as often as I wanted. I couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over.


    My reflection stared back from the mirror, a stranger in a dress that felt both too much and not enough. It was the first time Kieran was having friends over for dinner with me as his mate and the supposed queen. I didn¡¯t know if there was a manual for it. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t only be training to be a fighter.


    ¡°Is this okay? Do I look alright?¡± I asked moving my sides so I see the dress on me properly.


    Kieran leaned against the doorway he had a rxed smile on his face. I felt his eyes roving over me as he scanned me from head to toe.


    ¡°You look amazing, ra. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡± Just friends,¡± I echoed, but it did little to ease the knot in my stomach. Friends who lived in his world, a world filled with sophistication that felt miles away from my lifestyle. I have forgotten how to live with elegance. I knew I had it in me buried somewhere didn¡¯t quite know how to being it out.


    ¡°Rx,¡± Kieran chuckled and moved closer. He reached out for my hair tucking a loose strand behind my ear.


    ¡°They¡¯ll love you,¡± he said.


    His words were meant to calm me but they only made me think about it all over again. What if they didn¡¯t? What if I said the wrong thing, or came across as awkward and out of ce? That wouldn¡¯t be a surprise.


    I exhaled forcefully letting out a smile. ¡°What are their names again?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Isabelle, she is a top judge in the pce legal constitution.¡±


    ¡°Top judge huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Michael, this really chill guy, he is an Alpha and has his own pack bjt still part of the kingdom. Aside that, we work on businesses together and David, a bit quieter but nice. The wealthiest amongst the three. His business are all over the world. They are just here to congratte me.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, they are all well established.¡± I exhaled.


    ¡°Yeah, Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, no problem,¡± I stammered, ¡°It¡¯s just the usual feeling.¡±


    He looked at me for a moment before cing his hand on my shoulder.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said softly, ¡°with everything one thing still remains paramount.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you are their queen now. They are loyal to you. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he took my hand, ¡°remember this people are smart so let¡¯s make this real.¡±


    I took his hand as he led me out to the grand diner.


    ¡­ The clinking of forks and murmur of conversations filled the diner. The only thing I had said as soon as I got to the diner was to exchange pleasantries. Kieran had advised that I say little but I had said nothing at all. I refilled wine sses. I ced my hands on Kieran¡¯s he wasughing, caught up in an old story that I had no knowledge about. I guess we had been so caught up in pce business that we hadpletely forgotten to talk about our personal lives. I forced a smile at Isabe. Her designer dress shimmered under the soft glow of themp, and her perfectly manicured nails tapped a fine rhythm against the wine ss. Across from her was the one Kieran called Michael and David in their expensive wears just like Isabe.


    These were Kieran¡¯s ¡°sophisticated¡± friends, the ones he used to spend weekends with before his ex passed away. A familiar ache settled in my chest.  They were everything I wasn¡¯t about a week ago  polished, wealthy, effortlessly moving through life.  I stole a nce at Kieran. His head was bent as he listened to Michael talk. Even in a much causal wear, he still stood out, maybe because he was King


    ¡°So, ra, what do you do for a living? I mean before you became our queen.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­I used to work at a farm.¡±


    Shit! I shouldn¡¯t have said that.


    It was either that or telling them that I was Ryan¡¯s ve before I killed him.


    ¡°A farmer? Huh,¡± she echoed, ¡°How quaint,¡± she smirked.


    I tightened my grip on the fork, forcing myself to meet her gaze.  ¡°It¡¯s rewarding,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s more rewarding than getting g your hands all over the brown soil,¡± she chuckled. And then she turned back to Kieran and the other guys. I guess, I wasn¡¯t a catch.


    They discussed about various weekend getaways to exotic locations that they had been to, exclusive art collections, and charity events I¡¯d only ever seen on glossy magazine covers.  I curled up on the chair my smile bing a bit too strained.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± Isabe said, leaning towards him, ¡°remember that gallery exhibit in Paris we went to?  The one with the Van Gogh?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s mood shifted, ¡°Yeah,¡± he said quietly, ¡°Katherine loved that one.¡±

 CHAPTER 108: A HINT OF HOPE

    A lump formed in my throat, and I fought back the urge tosh out. I didn¡¯t like that he had mentioned Katherine because suddenly, it felt awkward. It was bad enough that I was left out of their conversations and now this? It was always Kathrine. How could I everpete with a ghost? What was I thinking? This isn¡¯t even real. But my emotions had somehow began to feel real.


    Just then, Kieran turned to me.


    ¡°Actually, ra paints too. Quite well, actually.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that. I don¡¯t refer mentioning that to him. How could he know that? Isabe turned towards me.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, ¡°What kind of art?¡±


    ¡°Mostlyndscapes,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°Watercolors mostly.¡±


    ¡°Watercolors,¡± she scoffed.  ¡°How¡­ precious.¡±


    My chest felt hot again it seems she wasn¡¯t the kind type.


    ¡°Her work is beautiful, Isa. You should see some of her paintings sometime.¡±


    I cannot remember thest time I had held a brush. That was weeks before my parents and I were kicked out of our home by Raymond. The thought of how Kieran still knew this marveled me.


    His voice held an edge that surprised me. And Isabe felt it too as she flushed slightly. And everywhere went silent again. Bit it wasn¡¯t as awkward for me as before but I couldn¡¯t say for the rest. I looked at Kieran. His jaw was clenched, and his gaze was fixed on his te.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    For the rest of the evening, the atmosphere remained as it was, a bit strained. After diner,  Kieran saw them out the door while I sat back.  Kieran¡¯s words echoed in my mind. I still couldn¡¯t believe that he stood up for me.  Did he really care about me?  The thought was a bit hopeful and terrifying at the same time.


    The night was unusually cold. And I folded my body underneath the duvet but it still didn¡¯t feel enough. Kieran came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist.  I stiffened, surprised by the sudden touch. But in a bit, I was warm.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he murmured behind my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said.


    He sighed, pulling me closer.


    ¡°They can be a bit much, sometimes,¡± he said.


    ¡°A bit much?¡± I scoffed.  ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°But they¡¯re cool. You just have to get to know them.¡±


    ¡°They were you exes friend and besides, this isn¡¯t real.¡±


    He was silent for a moment, then he turned me around to face him. His gaze held mine, his eyes searched for mine.


    ¡°ra,¡± he began, ¡°you¡¯re amazing.  Talented, funny, and kind.  Don¡¯t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±


    My heart skipped. Was this really happening?  Kieran was defending me and now he was praising me. Maybe its him just being nice. He probably just pitied me for having to deal with his arrogant friends.


    ¡°Thanks, I forced a smile, pushing away whatever feeling that grew in my chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you to say, Kieran. But I can handle myself.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°I know you can,¡± he said gently. ¡°But I meant it. They were just¡­ out of touch with what truly matters.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I just couldn¡¯t. I simply nodded and turned back to face the wall.


    ¡°You should let go now,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are cold let me hold you a bit longer. It¡¯s just holding you to keep you warm nothing more.¡±


    I didn¡¯t protest.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded.


    ¡°How did you know that I paint.¡±


    He chuckled and then I turned to face him again.


    ¡°I stopped painting a very long time ago. And most of the people that knows that I paint literally doesn¡¯t exist in my life again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m King ra, I have my way of knowing things.¡±


    ¡°I thought you have found my parents.¡±


    ¡°Oh no I haven¡¯t.  Speaking of which, I think I need to find them after all this is over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be a good n. So you paintndscapes, huh?¡± he asked.


    I nced at him, ¡°Yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I see some of your work sometime?¡±


    I didn¡¯t see thating, I hesitated, unsure how to respond.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I finally said, ¡°If you want,¡± I added.


    I watched as a slow smile spread across his face. It wrinkled the corners of his eyes. I couldn¡¯t imagine that I would ever feel warm again in his arms. Looking at him in that dim light. His eyes flickering. It was indeed a beautiful sight. My breath stopped for a few seconds. And I smiled too but it didn¡¯tst long as it urred to me. In that moment, I realized what trouble I was getting myself into. Something serious and big. It was clear that the more time I spent with Kieran, the more I felt myself falling for him. But this thing called  love. It was dangerous to me. Especially when it was with someone who still carried the memories of his past rtionship like it just happened. I knew that I had to protect myself, even if it meant pushing him away.


    I had never missed a day of practice and Kieran¡¯s dedication to train me, had made it a lot easier for me. Although, some days still felt tough. The next day, Kieran woke me with a cup of coffee and my training gear.


    ¡°Suit up, we have work to do,¡± he said. In about an hour, we were both at the training hall.


    Sweat ran into my eyes as Inded a roundhouse kick whichnded with a satisfying thud against the kicking bag. My muscles were stronger. I¡¯d been training with Kieran for months now, and I could feel the difference. I was stronger, faster, more confident.


    Kieran chuckled as I doubled over, catching my breath. ¡°Good one, ra. You¡¯re getting really good at that kick,¡± he chuckled. I turned over trying to catch my breath.


    I straightened up and wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my palm.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I grinned. ¡°Though, I still haven¡¯t quite mastered that perfect pivot you always do.¡±


    ¡°Practice makes perfect, so just keep practicing. You¡¯ll get there,¡± he said, his eyes twinkled.


    He moved to the center of the mat.


    ¡°Alright, ready to learn that new elbow strike I mentioned?¡±


    I smirked. Kieran was constantly challenging me with new techniques which made the training sessions very much exciting.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± said, stepping forward.


    He demonstrated the move slowly, breaking it down into different steps.  I mimicked his movements, focusing on the proper form of it as he repeated it again.


    I tried it and tripped on my step. Kieran showed me his hands and I took it lifting off the ground.


    ¡°Try it again. And this time do away with the clumsiness. Be firm.¡±


    I nodded and did it again and again. Each repetition gave way for a more powerful and precise elbow strike. And then finally, I went for it again and the strike was even more powerful.


    ¡°There you go, See? You¡¯re a natural,¡± Kieran said.


    A warm flush spread across my cheeks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. But it is fun learning new things.¡±


    He grinned.  ¡°Fun, and effective.  That¡¯s the goal, remember?¡±

 CHAPTER 109: UNDER THE FULL MOON

    We continued practicing for another hour. And before the end of the session, I could feel my muscles twitch but they didn¡¯t hurt as much as they used to when I first started.


    I picked up my bag and took out the water bottle from it. As we wrapped up the session. Kieran leaned against the punching bag, catching his breath.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said, his gaze was fixed on me, ¡°you¡¯vee a long way since we first started training.¡±


    I met his eyes, ¡± Well, so have you,¡± I replied softly.


    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯ve definitely gotten stronger.  Both physically and mentally,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Well, all thanks to you. This is all you. You made this possible. Thank you Kieran. Now, I need a shower.¡±


    ¡­ ording to the customs and traditions of the werewolf Kingdom, the Lycan King would take the hands of his new bride and lead her outside right under the moon for their first sighting. Because it is their first full moon after their mating ceremony. It is a sacred moment and Kieran had promised to make it nothing less than that. Even if I had waved the thoughts away, I still anticipated the arrival of the moon. Until the night that it came.


    ¡°Lets go,¡± he led me out just as the traditions demands. But asides that, it was beautiful sight to behold. And standing beside Kieran, the Lycan King was the extra spice.


    His hand brushed against mine, sending a jolt through me that had nothing to do with the cool night air.


    ¡°We are almost there,¡± he murmured as he led me deeper into the pce¡¯sbyrinthine halls.


    Then, we came out from a secluded balcony that overlooked the pce gardens. And there it was  the full moon, with its ethereal silver glow.  It was breathtaking.


    I inhaled deeply letting in all the air. It smelled of the scent of a lone wolf patrolling the grounds. I didn¡¯t understand how I knew that. The moment my skin touched the moonlight I felt different. Like surge of energy ripped through me.  It felt like a dam had broken loose as raw power passed through my veins.


    ¡°Do you feel that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?


    ¡°The power.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, it happens to every werewolf on nights like this. I¡¯m used to it now.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I guess you are.¡±


    I looked out. I could hear the humming of the  insects in the hidden crevices of the pce walls. And then the surge came again this time even stronger.


    ¡°I guess you can feel that too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Feel what? The powers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but this is a bit different.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°What does it feel like?¡±


    ¡°It feels like the very thrum of magic that pulsed beneath the ancient stones. It is overwhelming.¡±


    I swayed already feeling lightheaded and a moan escaping my lips. Kieran only looked at me a certain way. The stars began to swirl in my vision, and the balcony floor seemed to tilt beneath me.


    ¡°Please tell me that you are feeling that,¡± I said. My hands began to tremble as fear gripped me.


    Kieran¡¯s grabbed me around my waist keeping me steady.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Whoa, ra, easy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I gasped, clinging to him.  ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The moon,¡± he said, his voice tight.  ¡°It¡¯s affecting you more intensely than usual.¡±


    ¡°More intensely?¡± I echoed, ¡°Why?¡± My voice quivered.


    He hesitated, then sighed.  ¡°Because you¡¯re not just any werewolf, ra. You¡¯re the chosen one.¡±


    My breath stopped for a second.


    As if sensing my fear, Kieran pulled me closer.  ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he murmured.  We¡¯ll figure this out together.¡±


    His words calmed me for a bit. But then, as if been poked, I could hear the moon calling to me so strongly now. The power thrumming within me was so strong that I need to release it somehow. And so I reached out, my hand outstretched towards the moon.


    ¡°ra, no!¡± Kieran gasped.


    But it was toote. The surge of energy, silver and brilliant, was sent out from my fingertips  towards the moon. The pce gardens shown with blinding light and there was a loud noise.


    Then, just  as it started, the energy reduced and  I slumped against Kieran. I felt drained and my body trembled. The gardens became silent again. Too quiet that I almost heard my heart beat.


    When I finally opened my eyes, I saw a look of on Kieran¡¯s face, one that I haven¡¯t seen before. It was a sight that chilled me to the bone.


    ¡°What did you just do?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.  ¡°I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t control myself. It was like the moon was calling out to me.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s face hardened.  ¡°They felt it.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Everyone else in this pce and beyond. Do you know what this means? They all know the magnitude of your powers and that¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Oh God. What did I do?¡±


    ¡°We need to get inside. Now.¡±


    He took me up into his arms before I could say anything else and walked towards the grand double doors leading back into the pce. My head spun. I was scared. It was clear that connection with the moon had left me exposed. And now, whoever ¡°they¡± were, they knew.


    Kieran mmed them shut behind us as we got in.


    ¡°Calm down Kieran. The garden were empty. There was no one there. Maybe no one saw me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be too sure.¡±


    We were quiet for a while everyone in their own thoughts.


    ¡°Okay, maybe your right maybe no one saw it.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°But what was that out there? I ha e never felt or seen a power like that.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I don¡¯t know the right words to use to exined how I felt out there. Bit all I can say is that I felt powerful.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with this.  But for now, you need to rest.¡±


    The rest of the night was quiet. Although, I still couldn¡¯t find sleep. Every minute, I would stare at my palm from where the lights hade from. It was all in me. Sometimes, I felt proud, other times I was scared of myself and what I could do. Gradually, my mind felt too tired to think.

 CHAPTER 110: THE FOOD STORE

    By the time I opened my eyes again, it was morning. Bright and sunny and Kieran was already up.


    ¡°Morning beautiful, its time for breakfast. Luckily, I picked a dress for you while you were still sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Kieran,e on, you didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, I already did. So lets go have breakfast. I¡¯m definitely having that oatmeal today.¡±


    ¡°The pancakes that all I want,¡± I said struggling to leave the bed. And as soon as I did, I walked to were the dress was. A cream colored dress just perfect for the morning. It was lovely that Kieran had thought about ne in that way.


    ¡°I love the dress,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, perhaps I¡¯m beginning to know you better.¡±


    I smiled.


    The air buzzed with the gentle tter of silverware as the maids arranged the dishes.


    But there was something off about everyone and how they looked.


    ¡°Is everything alright? Everyone seems off.¡± I asked, reaching across the table to touch his hand. He jolted slightly and turned towards me.


    ¡°I noticed too maybe it¡¯s the weather. But everything¡¯s fine,¡± he said. After the dished have been set, it was time for the meal. The doors creaked open, and a young maid, her face pale walked towards the table. As she ced it on the table, Kieran and I looked at ourselves at once. Was that some kind of joke? It was a withered apple and a stale crust of bread right in front if us.


    My stomach lurched. That wasn¡¯t our usual breakfast meal. Usually, the table would be filled with  fresh fruits, nice sausages, fluffy pancakes with syrup and other fruit toppings.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice cut through the tense silence. The maid moved backward. Her eyes widening in fear.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she stammered, ¡°this is all that¡¯s left in the kitchens.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®all that¡¯s left?¡±


    ¡°The storerooms, Your Majesty,¡± she stammered again her voice trembled. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re bare.¡±


    Empty storerooms? It felt impossible. The pce was always well-stocked because food shipments arriving regrly.


    Kieran chuckled and turned towards me. He  didn¡¯t believe, I shouldn¡¯t too but I knew that something was wrong. We had never been served that.


    ¡°Show me,¡± Kieran said. He pushed himself out of his chair. The maid hurried ahead of him. I followed close behind. From the look of things right outside, I knew that she might be right.


    The storerooms that was usually bustling with activity was quiet. As we got in, we saw the rows of nearly empty shelves. There were no sacks of flour, not even a bag of grain no hanging sides of beef  just silence.


    Kieran froze at the sight. This wasn¡¯t a simple supply shortage. This was deliberate.


    ¡°Howe no one told me of this?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We just discovered that we had nothing and no one is supplying anymore.¡±


    ¡°Someone will pay for this,¡± he growled.


    But who?  And why?


    I nced at Kieran. He looked angry and helpless. And for the first time since I started learning of my abilities, I wished so much that I had more control over them. I wished I could use them to protect not just myself, but the entire kingdom. To protect Kieran.


    We were facing an unknown enemy. Kieran mmed his fist against a dusty shelf.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°But Your Majesty, it is true. The deliveries¡­ they haven¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°Who is responsible for the deliveries?¡± Kieran demanded. Kieran¡¯s anger had led all his subordinates to the storeroom. Even Alex was present.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gregory,¡± someone replied.


    ¡°Find Lord Gregory, and bring him here. Now,¡± Kieran barked.


    ¡°Alex, assemble everyone for an emergency meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty,¡± Alex said and walked out.


    ¡°ra, this is bigger than a simple supply shortage. Someone is trying to starve us out.¡±


    ¡°But who? And why?¡± I asked.


    Kieran ran his hand through his hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°I just hope it is not toote by then.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± he said.


    Just then, we heard shouts and cries from outside. Kieran grabbed my hand in a grip firm.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he whispered, before he disappeared through the doorway, leaving me alone in the emptiness of the storeroom.


    But as usual, I knew I couldn¡¯t just stay in.


    I walked over to the and peeked out.  The hallway was a scene I didn¡¯t expect to see. The guards trying to hold back the angry people from the town. It seems it wasn¡¯t just the pce food that was short of supply.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t received any food shipments in days. Our families are starving!¡± One of the men yelled.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°There must be some mistake. The pce kitchens are always well-stocked. Don¡¯t worry the King will rectify the issue.


    ¡°Mistake?¡± the man scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. We know the truth. The king is hoarding food while his people starve.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Kieran walked out from the storeroom.


    The crowd fell silent, their eyes fixed on the King. Kieran raised a hand to calm the people.


    ¡°I understand your concerns. But I assure you, there has been a misunderstanding. The pce kitchens are indeed bare, but it¡¯s not due to any hoarding. There isn¡¯t any food at all. But I¡¯m not saying this to scare you.¡±


    ¡°But how is that even possible?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°We are investigating this matter as speak. Those responsible will be brought to justice.  In the meantime, we will ensure that everyone in the kingdom has ess to food. Now please go back to your homes food will be brought to you.¡±


    The crowd dispersed slowly.


    When everyone was gone, Kieran turned to me.


    ¡°This is bad, ra. Someone is trying to destabilize the kingdom, and they¡¯re using food as a weapon.¡±


    ¡°But who could it be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There are many who would benefit from chaos. Rival kingdoms, power-hungry nobles¡­ I can¡¯t just ce it.¡±


    ¡°You promised to bring food to the people. How do you intend on doing that?¡± I asked him watching his expression. They weren¡¯t any better than it previously was. In fact, my question seemed to make it worse.


    ¡°I have no idea, ra.¡±


    ¡°Oh God Kieran. Giving the people hope will only make it worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just buying us some time until we figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Then we better hurry before their patience runs out,¡± I said.

 CHAPTER 111: THE AGREEMENT

    Kieran paced about the chamber with furrowed brows. He stared sternly at the ground before taking each step. I just sat at the edge of the bed watching him. Even if I couldn¡¯t read his mind, I knew he was under so much. We all were. The stress of not being able to provide food for the people was at the top of the list. It weighed on us all but Kieran seemed to take it to a different level maybe because he was the King and so the responsibility hung on his shoulders.


    I had not left the pce for days because of his strict instructions. But I knew that there was something that I needed to do. I just couldn¡¯t sit and wait for him to solve everything any longer. The people grew weary and I became impatient. If there was something I could do to help, then I knew that it was the right time to get on with it.


    I fiddled with the edge of my dress, feeling the silk texture against my fingertips. My eyes did not leave him as he walked around.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Finally, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out. I hated the tremor in my voice but I held on. What I had to say was important. I didn¡¯t want him to think that it wasn¡¯t.


    He stopped abruptly and turned sharply pinning his gaze on me.


    ¡°Yes, ra?¡±


    I took a deep breath and pushed forward.


    ¡°I got a job,¡± I said still watching him. I noticed the switch in his brows. It now signified less of being confused and more of being concerned.


    The words hung in the air for a while. I knew the unexpected weight it brought. But I just had to tell him. Kieran¡¯s jaw clenched tight, and I braced myself for whatever that wasing.


    ¡°A job?¡± he echoed although his voice was low.


    ¡°What kind of job?¡± He asked and turned to me.


    ¡°At the elementary school,¡± I said quickly.  ¡°They¡¯re desperate for help with the younger kids, especially with the food shortage. I¡­ I just wanted to do something.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s pacing resumed this time his worry was reced with something else as he frowned.


    ¡°Do something?¡± he scoffed. ¡°You are the queen and worse of all, the chosen one, ra. You are not supposed to be out there. At least not at a time like this. You would only be exposing yourself to the people that are doing this. Instead of going out there teaching some kids, you should prepare yourself for what is toe.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly is that?¡± I retorted and my voice rose just immediately. ¡°Sit around in this pce, twiddling my thumbs while people outside starve?  I can¡¯t just do nothing, Kieran. I need to feel like I¡¯m making a difference. I need to be out there doing something. The little way I can.¡±


    He turned around with his eyes zing.  ¡°You are making a difference. Everything we do here, the meetings, the strategies, the search for the culprit  it¡¯s all for the kingdom. It¡¯s all for the people.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not enough. People are losing hope. They need more than just empty promises. They need someone who understands their struggles, someone who can connect with them,¡± I argued.


    ¡°And what do you think that I have been doing all these times?¡±


    ¡°You got me wrong Kieran. I know that you have been doing a lot. I just want to be able to y my part as well.¡±


    He walked to his study and finally rested in his seat with a sigh running a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumping slightly.


    ¡°ra, it¡¯s dangerous out there. We still don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind the food shortage, and the council¡­¡± he paused, his jaw clenching again. ¡°The council is still after you.¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself, and besides, I am not a prisoner here.¡±


    He stared at me. I couldn¡¯t read him through his eyes. Couldn¡¯t exactly tell what he was thinking. But I wish I could, maybe, it would have been a lot easier to know my next words if I could.


    ¡°A prisoner, no,¡± he said softly. ¡°But you are precious to this Kingdom more than you know.  The thought of you being out there, vulnerable¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off. I waited hopelessly for him to say something anything to put me in a ce but instead, it was a nk te. He had the look I got when I had many words to say but didn¡¯t know which would make better sense at the moment.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just stay here and do nothing, Kieran. Apart from helping with the food shortage, this job will be a chance to connect with the people, to show them we haven¡¯t forgotten them. That I haven¡¯t forgotten them. Maybe I could buy their loyalty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your responsibility. And loyalty can¡¯t be bought.¡±


    ¡°Kieran please!¡± I called out.


    He said nothing. And the silence stretched for a while. I knew deep down that I needed to do something. I had lived a long part of my life sitting back and awaiting help from people, especially Kieran. This was the little chance I had to show that I was able to do something. And I hoped that Kieran could understand that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow this, ra,¡± he said finally, his voice was firm. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you out there. It¡¯s not safe for any of us.¡±


    ¡°Then find a way to make it safe, because I¡¯m doing this, Kieran. With or without your approval,¡± I said.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t listen ra. This is not a time to show your stubbornness. I have things to worry about and you shouldn¡¯t be part of it. So just stay here where I would be sure that you are safe.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± I yelled, ¡°just stop it. We might be mates but you don¡¯t have the right to boss me around. You don¡¯t own me. I can make these decisions on my own and I have decided to do this.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Do whatever the fuck you want. I don¡¯t give a damn anyway,¡± Kieran barked. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the chamber, mming the door behind him.


    Tears welled up in my eyes as soon as he was gone. I wouldn¡¯t be kept in a cage.  I would break free and do what I felt was right, even if it meant defying Kieran.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do this,¡± I muttered as if reminding myself of my decision. I had not expected it to go down like that but even as it did, I still needed to do what was right. At that point, I reached out for my cloak and then stopped as I watched my hands tremble. Having the conversation with Kieran hasn¡¯t quite gone down the way that I wanted it to. I grabbed my cloak and stormed out of the chamber. I didn¡¯t exactly know where I was going but I needed to clear my head from all the words and disapproval that I got stuck in my head.


    The courtyard was empty by the time I got there. It was calm and peaceful; just what I needed. I walked around as I watched the rose bush. And then, I let my palm touch the edges of the brightly colored petals of the roses. Even if I admired their beauty, it didn¡¯t catch my eyes as I had expected. The thought of what had just happened between Kieran and I didn¡¯t leave my head just yet. Kieran had been gone for what felt like hours, but I knew it couldn¡¯t have been more than thirty minutes.


    The bangs from the pce doors I heard reminded me that I was still in the pce being the queen of starving people and I needed to do something which I didn¡¯t at the moment. I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to see him. Or what to say to him if I eventually did. Would he apologize or try to reason with me again? Or to forbid me from taking the job at the school altogether?


    And just then, the memory of our fight shed in my mind. I could still remember the look on his face when he said those words. It echoed in my ears again. I didn¡¯t like that it did.


    Oh shit.


    I heard footsteps and turned towards it. It was him.


    Kieran.


    He looked back at me with the same look on his face. The one that I had seen all morning when he had refused to agree to let me take the job. That moment, I looked at him directly into his eyes and he looked back, it¡¯s like our eyes were glued for a split second. But then, I looked away almost immediately and turned my eyes back to the roses.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He just stood there. He was a few steps behind me, mostly by the door, I guess. I wanted to turn around and walk up to him. Maybe confront him about what had happened. I wanted to ask him to apologize for saying all that he had said. But then, I thought about it again. There was no point. He was Kieran anyway. And so, I held back.


    Finally, he spoke. Although his voice was low and calm. Not what I had expected.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want, ra.¡±


    I heard him speak.


    ¡°You said that before,¡± I said without turning.


    ¡°Well, I mean it this time.¡±


    I still kept my gaze on the roses, I just couldn¡¯t face him. I felt a small smile growing at the corner of my lips. He was letting me do it.


    ¡°I was going to do it anyway. The school already hired me,¡± I mumbled.


    That was a lie. I just had to put up the look like I had already gone ahead with it without getting him involved. That was my way of being rebellious against his earlier disapproval. I knew that I needed him to be able to take up the job. His support and guidance were enough for me. That was what I longed for all day. But I just couldn¡¯t tell him that just yet.


    He didn¡¯t say anything after that neither did I. We just basked in the silence for as long as we could.


    Kieran let out a soft sigh breaking up the silence. I knew he was ready to speak.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°Just¡­ be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I echoed.


    I heard shuffling feet like he was leaving and so I turned but before he disappeared into the pce doors, he nced back at me and his gaze felt warm. I couldn¡¯t tell why but it sent a wave of warmth through me which somehow made all the arguments from an hour ago go away.


    I continued with the roses but my thoughts didn¡¯t change and then, a secret smile crept on my lips. He hadn¡¯t apologized, not exactly.  But in his way, he had agreed.  And that, for now, was enough. I could work with ¡°enough.¡±

 CHAPTER 112: ANOTHER ATTACK

    With Kieran¡¯s approval, I was encouraged again to take the step of epting the job.


    I can do this.


    I knew that there was a lot to do in such little time but the difference now was that I would be able to offer the help that I could. Having hope was all I needed.


    The morning came fast, I had barely slept a wink. Sunlight streamed through the windows, painting my dressing table a golden brown. I felt the excitement bubbling in my stomach. It was my first day of work.


    I hummed a song as I braided my hair watching myself through the mirror. Although I felt nervous, I still felt positive about everything. I thought about being surrounded by children. We would share stories andugh at some poorly made jokes. They wouldn¡¯t mind. It was something good in the midst of the bad things the kingdom faced. Maybe a bit of doing something normal could do some good, I thought.


    Suddenly, I turned to the door as it creaked open. It was Kieran. He looked weary and a bit out of ce, dark circles had grown beneath his eyes. I could nearly say that I knew exactly the way that he felt. The heaviness of the kingdom pressed down on his shoulders. He liked to carry it alone. Even if we all wanted to share it with him, he still wanted to bear it all.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± he said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bete for my first day,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s so much to prepare.¡±


    He nodded. I met his eyes on me for a while and then, he looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve assigned some guards to apany you to the school,¡± he said.


    ¡°Guards?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Kieran, that¡¯s not necessary.  The school is in the heart of the city. It¡¯s perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is perfectly safe right now, ra. We still don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind the food shortage, and the council¡­¡±


    He paused, his voice trailing off, ¡°Just be careful,¡± he finished, his voice was softer now.  He reached out for my cheek. Brushing his hands against my cheek. The warmth of his touch thrilled me and I pulled away.


    ¡°I will, but I still feel it¡¯s unnecessary. I¡¯ll be fine. No one would want tounch an attack where there are kids around.¡±


    ¡°Just take the guards. There is no harm in doing that. At least with them, I¡¯ll be sure of your protection,¡± he said.


    I nodded without saying a word and he turned and left.


    As soon as the door shut behind him, I felt different like a wave of uncertainty came over me.  At that instant, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for such responsibility. To go amongst children with such powers that I possessed.  What if I lost control?  Just then, the memory of the full moon, the raw power surging through me, sent a jolt of fear through me. What if I identally hurt someone, a child, someone innocent?


    But then, a stronger feeling pushed back the fear  the desire to help.  The people needed a queen who understood their struggles, someone who wouldn¡¯t just sit back and let the kingdom crumble.  This wasn¡¯t just about me; it was about all of them.


    A small smile appeared at the corners of my lips as I looked into the mirror.  Maybe Kieran was right to be worried, but I wouldn¡¯t let my fear hold me back.  I would learn to control my powers; I would find a way.


    Just as I grabbed my bag and headed toward the hallway, I heard voicesing from a part of the hallway. Shouts and frantic cries pierced the quiet morning air.  I peeked out, my heart hammering against my chest.


    Guards, maids, and even the pce medical team were rushing towards a particr direction, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and urgency.  Panic wed at my throat.  What was happening?


    Piqued with curiosity and frightened a bit as I had no idea what I would see. I moved closer. I ignored the frantic shouts for me to stay back and followed the panicked wails. Just outside the pce gates, the people milled around, their faces pale with shock, pointing towards a cluster of guards.


    My heart pounded even more as I pushed through the crowd. Three meny on the ground, their clothes covered with blood and torn apart. Around them, others tended to the injured, their faces were contorted in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I managed to say but no one seemed to be in the mood for a chit-chat. I hated the wave of nausea that came over me. These were the men who had ventured out to search for food, men with families who were now waiting for them to return. And they were dead.


    ¡°Who did this?¡± someone screamed from amongst the crowd.


    Whoever was doing this, sure did know the right time tounch an attack. I felt pained even more that I had caused this again. Terror gripped my throat as I stood there having nothing else to say or contribute. Kieran had warned me about these people. They were here, and they were escting their attacks.


    Just then, I felt a hand gripping my arm. It pulled me back out of the midst of the crowd. It was Kieran. He didn¡¯t look any different from any of us. But hisposure kept him intact.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He whispered.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me things had be this bad,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it had be this bad either.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, those men just went in search of food for their families. Now they are no more. This is really getting out of hand,¡± my voice quivered.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you now know how dangerous these people are. They are not here for jokes and they won¡¯t mindunching an attack on you if they wanted to.¡±


    ¡°I know but this is utterly insane,¡± I said. And turned to the crowd as the wails increased.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he muttered. He didn¡¯t ask, he simply pulled me away from the crowd.


    ¡°Kieran, what really happened?¡± I managed to ask, my voice still trembling.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. Right now, you need to be safe and you don¡¯t need to see that.¡±


    He led me through a side passage, his grip on my arm tightening as we passed the growing throng of panicked people.  We finally emerged at the back of the pce grounds, where a sleek ck car awaited.


    ¡°Get in,¡± Kieran said, pushing me towards the passenger door.  ¡°The driver will take you to the school.¡±


    ¡°And you?  What are you going to do?¡±


    He forced a smile, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, ra.  Everything will be fine.  You just¡­ stay safe.¡±


    His words felt hollow. I hesitated, wanting to argue, wanting to stay by his side. But before I could say anything more, a group of servants huddled nearby caught my eye.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s all her fault!¡± one of them hissed. They said pointing towards me.


    ¡°The chosen one is a curse.  She brought this upon us. I still don¡¯t know why the king chose her to be his mate. She shouldn¡¯t be here or we will all be dead before the end of the season.¡± Another added.


    My stomach lurched. It was true. Since my arrival, the kingdom had been plunged into chaos. The food shortage, the attacks, and now this.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Kieran said.  He stepped towards the servants, his aura radiating a cold fury.  But before he could say anything, I shook my head.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, my voice barely audible.  ¡°It¡¯s alright.  They¡¯re right.  Maybe¡­ maybe I am cursed.¡±


    He squeezed my hand, ¡°No, ra.  You¡¯re not cursed.  You¡¯re just¡­ different. And whoever is behind all of this is using your arrival to spread fear and anger. Don¡¯t let them win. I¡¯ll make sure that I get them and they¡¯ll never see the break of light again.¡±


    I swallowed without saying another word


    With a final nce at Kieran, I climbed into the car. And then I turned the other way as tears grew by the side of the car. I didn¡¯t want him to see it. Until the vehicle pulled away, leaving behind the chaos and fear that now hung heavy in the air.


    As we sped through the city streets, a thousand thoughts swirled in my head.  The dead men, the usations of the servants, the ever-present threats from the werewolf council, and even from the people.


    One thing was clear: this kingdom was on the brink of copse, and I was at the center of it all. My gut tightened and felt too dry for me to swallow. I avoided the gaze of the driver. At that point, I just wanted to be alone.


    The ride felt longer than it should have, every bump in the road brought me back to the harsh reality of the situation.  The driver finally pulled up in front of my modest apartment building, the familiar one that I had seen on the screen of theptop back at the pce as I was going through the school website. We had arrived.

 CHAPTER 113 : THE CLASSROOM

    The ssroom buzzed with delight.  I forgot all the chaos I had juste out from. The sound of children¡¯sughter was a change from the tense atmosphere of the pce.  The stories, the finger-painting, even the asional problem  it was all a reminder of life¡¯s simple joys, a world away from the darkness that threatened the kingdom.


    Despite the worry at the edges of my mind, I pushed myself to remain at my best. I needed children to see the different shades of me. Not the way the people at the pce hade to see me. I needed them to see the real me. Today wasn¡¯t about the fate of the kingdom, it was about sharing a few precious hours the children and I needed to give them my all.


    By the end of the day, I was exhausted, my voice hoarse from storytelling and my hands stained a rainbow of colors. But for once in a long time, I felt aplished and it warmed my heart. Maybe, just maybe, this job was what I needed right now  the only little time that I would be normal amidst the chaos going on.


    I walked out of the building, heading towards the car that waited for me.


    ¡°Hey John, hope I didn¡¯t take too long. Thanks for waiting.¡± I said to the driver, a kind-faced man. He greeted me with a warm smile.


    ¡°Good day, Miss ra. Not at all,¡± he said.  ¡°How was the first day?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ interesting,¡± I replied with a tiredugh.  The exhaustion settled on my shoulders like a heavy load but deep down, I was satisfied with my day


    ¡°The kids are full of energy, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I smiled.


    Just as I was about to get into the backseat, a small figure came out from the school doors.


    ¡°Miss ra!¡± he called out, waving a book in the air.  ¡°You forgot this!¡±


    ¡°Hold on a bit,¡± I said to the driver as I walked up to the kid.


    He stopped in front of me with a bright smile.


    ¡°You left this back on your table. I thought you might need it,¡± he said.


    I took the book, a worn copy of a fairy tale collection.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name Kid,¡± I asked.


    ¡°My name is Tommy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Tommy,¡± I said, kneeling to his level. ¡°I would¡¯ve been lost without it.¡±


    He grinned, revealing a gap-toothed smile. ¡°Anytime, Miss ra. See you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°You bet,¡± I promised, ruffling his hair.  As I watched him skip back towards the school. I smiled again as I watched him leave. I couldn¡¯t wait to be back at the pce and tell Kieran all about my day.


    The ride back to the pce was quiet, the familiar cityscape blurred past the window as I rested my head in it.


    As we entered the pce gates, a strange sight greeted me.  The usually dull and empty courtyard was bustling with activity.  Guests adorned in elegant attire walked around, andughter filled the air.  Long tables with food and drink stretched across the courtyard. Just a few hours without me in the pce and everything and everyone was the opposite of how I left it. I didn¡¯t know just how I should feel. But I was relieved that everyone was happy again. Even though I was a little worried that the celebration with a lot of food might affect the rationing. Maybe Kieran had somehow managed the food shortage problem, I thought.


    I rushed inside and found Kieran in his study as I burst through the door.


    ¡°Kieran, what¡¯s going on?  Why is there a¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off as I saw him.  He was dressed in a ceremonial robe, a crown adorning his head. But it was his face that truly startled me. Gone was the worry he had worn in recent days. Instead, he had a radiant smile, a warmth I hadn¡¯t seen in weeks.


    ¡°ra, you¡¯re back.  Come, join the celebration.¡±


    He took my hand and pulled me towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s our one-month anniversary.¡±


    My mind reeled.


    ¡°One-month anniversary?  Of what?¡±


    ¡°Come on think ra.¡±


    Then, a blush crept up my cheeks as I remembered.


    ¡°Our mating. The full moon, the bond we had forged?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it might be forged but the people see it as real.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but this¡­ this extravagant celebration?  Does it not seem a bit too much considering the state of the kingdom?  The people are starving, rationing their food supplies, and here we were, celebrating with a feast?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a killjoy, ra. This is worth celebrating.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, this¡­ this doesn¡¯t feel right.  With the food shortage¡­¡±


    He stopped abruptly, his smile fading slightly. ¡°ra,¡± he began in a gentle voice.  ¡°This is different. These are guests from neighboring kingdoms, allies we¡¯ve contacted.  They¡¯ve brought food supplies as a gesture of goodwill.¡±


    Relief washed over me as I heard those words.


    ¡°So, they hadn¡¯t abandoned us after all.  There is still hope. But¡­ this feast?¡± I persisted, gesturing towards the courtyard.  ¡°It still seems too excessive.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not just a feast, ra. It¡¯s the official announcement of our mating.  The other kingdoms need to see that we are united and that the crown is strong.  It¡¯s a symbol of hope, a show of resilience.¡±


    His words resonated within me. He was right. This wasn¡¯t just about celebrating our bond, it was a political move, a message to the kingdom and our potential allies. But a little voice inside me still wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°But what about the rationing? We can¡¯t just have a feast while the people¡­¡±


    ¡°The people will be fed, ra,¡± he assured me, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek.  ¡°These supplies will help us replenish our stores, and the visiting delegations will bring additional resources. We¡¯re taking a step towards recovery and rebuilding.¡±


    He pulled me into a tight embrace. Maybe he was right.  Maybe this celebration, this disy of unity, was exactly what the kingdom needed right now.


    A slow smile spread across my face it felt genuine this time.  ¡°Alright, Let¡¯s celebrate then. For the good times, for the hope for the future,¡± I chuckled.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He grinned, the familiar spark of mischief returning to his eyes.  ¡°And for the chosen one and our queen,¡± he added, his voice dropping to a yful whisper.  ¡°Who seems to be thriving in her new role as a schoolteacher.¡±


    I swatted him yfully on the arm, augh escaping my lips.  The tension, the worries of the day, seemed to melt away in the warmth of his presence.


    We joined the festivities hand in hand, greeted by cheers and warm smiles.  The guests were a mix of human dignitaries and werewolves from other packs. Surprisingly, they weed me with curiosity and respect. For the first time in weeks, the pce felt alive with a different kind of energy. A good kind of energy.


    As the night came, the courtyard still echoed with music andughter. Even as I basked in it, a part of me couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of unease. The happiness, the celebration, it felt almost¡­ fragile.  Like a beautiful butterfly caught in a spider¡¯s web, shimmering under the moonlight, unaware of the danger that lurked just beneath the surface.


    The feeling wouldn¡¯t leave me.  This feeling that something terrible was about to strike.  It was a feeling I had grown all too familiar with since bing the queen and knowing the full capacity of my powers.  Good things rarely came without a price, and the kingdom¡¯s new hope felt like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.


    The people cheered again and I turned towards them, towards Kieran. I saw the joy in their eyes. I should be feeling that too. At least, I should allow myself to feel that as well. So, I pushed those thoughts aside.  I wanted to enjoy the warmth of Kieran¡¯s hand in mine, theughter filling the air, and the glimmer of hope in the eyes of the people.  For this night, we allowed ourselves to hope, to celebrate, and to believe in better things. However, a part of me, the part that had learned about life the hard way remained very much alive, ready to face whatever darkness mighte.

 CHAPTER 114: A DARING ATTACK

    The day started like any other. The excited chatter of children filled the ssroom. It was like a weing distraction from the uneasiness that had settled in my gut since the celebration at the pce. The joy of the previous night felt like a distant memory already. But it was good for the people. Everyone needed something to take their minds off the terror. And Kieran knew just what the people needed.


    We began the storytelling session in ss. Whenever I got to school, I would put up a new me. The one that held no weight on her shoulders and feeling that light with the kids helped me through the day. I narrated a fantastical tale of brave knights and fire-breathing dragons. The children stared back at me wide-eyed and captivated as they hung on to every word. It was a moment of pure, innocent joy I could see them in their eyes.


    Suddenly, I could hear a thumping heart. I paused for a while and looked at the faces of the children, but everyone was calm. Their gaze pins on me so I could go on. I cleared out my airways and began reading through again this time a bit slower. And then, I heard the thumping heartbeat again but this time it was a bit louder. It didn¡¯t stop even as I stopped reading for the kids.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± One of the kids asked and I nodded. But just as I held on to the book again, the sound resumed in a much louder tone pushing me off bnce as I dropped the book off my grip. Then I heard muffled footsteps through the hallway.


    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± I asked the kids but they tilted their head in unison. But it was weird that I could hear all that clearly in my head but they couldn¡¯t. I knew something wasing and so I left the chair. Then a loud growl shattered the peaceful atmosphere. My head snapped towards the ssroom door from the looks on the faces of the children, I knew that they heard it too. The door creaked open and a hulking figure walked in. He had his fangs and ws out in the hot afternoon. He didn¡¯t look like anyone I had seen in the pce. He had a cruel smile stretched across his face, his eyes gleaming with anger.


    ¡°The chosen one,¡± he snarled, ¡°Finally, I meet you. It¡¯s an honor,¡± he smirked.


    My feet trembled. I had never been faced with such before. Whenever anything of this sort happened, Kieran was always there. I remembered his warnings but it was toote to wish that I had listened.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± I pushed the children behind me, standing between them and the stranger.


    ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± I asked firmly. Not showing any sign of fear.


    Heughed so loud that it became a chilling sound that echoed off the ssroom walls.  ¡°My name is Darrick,¡± he said, ¡°And your death will bring an end to this charade.¡±


    My heart pounded as I heard those words. Darrick, I had not heard that name or seen him before maybe he was one of those who put the kingdom in so much jeopardy. I wished that there was a way that I could bring Kieran to the school. He would know what to do. He always knew what to do. His name sent a shiver of fear through me. He was an Alpha his reddish eyes revealed so.


    I took a step forward and I moved back.


    ¡°Stay back, don¡¯te any close.¡±


    ¡°I would really love this. You know, everyone has been too scared to confront you. They are waiting for the perfect time. But I¡¯m here because I know that I can take you down. I was right, you are just another female werewolf that knows nothing about her powers.¡±


    He took another step closer.


    ¡°Stay back, I¡¯m warning you,¡± I said my voice surprisingly steady. ¡°Don¡¯t make me do this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can do whatever you wish. But I¡¯m not leaving here without your head.¡±


    ¡°Darrick, please we can talk about this outside. There are kids here. I can go with you but please, not here. This is a school. We don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes we do,¡± he said and kepting.


    ¡°Darrick stop, I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± I warned.


    Darrickughed loudly.


    ¡°Oh, I thought that was a joke. This has gone too far.¡±


    He ignored my warning and lunged forward; his ws extended letting out a snarl. Just then, I felt a surge in me, the very same that I had felt when I was out with the full moon. It reced the fear that grew in me recing it with a cold, steely resolve.


    I moved instinctively without minding, dodging his attack with a surprising skill that I never knew I possessed. Years of training with Kieran and the lingering effects of the full moon gave me an edge I hadn¡¯t expected.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Darrick roared in frustration; his eyes burned with hatred. We circled each other like a predator sizing up its prey.  But this time, I wasn¡¯t the prey.


    He lunged again, faster this time, but I was ready.  I ducked just as his ws swiped through the air, the force of his attack sent waves of shiver through me. And then, he came again so fast that I didn¡¯t see him and his ws went through my shoulder. I screamed and moved aside holding my arms as blood gushed out. Darrickughed and came on me again. But the pain somehow fuelled a raw power in me. A blinding white light gushed out of my palm and engulfed the ssroom. Darrick froze, his eyes widening in terror. I focused on the burning rage within him, the darkness that fuelled his attack. And I drew it out. I drained it.  Like a sponge absorbing water, I soaked up his life force, his power, leaving him like an empty shell.


    The light reduced gradually and Darrick crumpled to the ground. He had a vacant look in his eyes.  Life had been drained from him, leaving behind a lifeless body.


    And everywhere wentpletely silent. I stood there, panting, the weight of what I had done pressed down on me.  My hands trembled; the echo of raw power still tingled in my veins.


    Then, I heard a whimper.  I looked down to see Tommy, huddled amongst the other children, his face pale with terror.  The other children, wide-eyed and trembling, stared at me.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± I looked at my hands and then Darrick. Shame washed over me. How could I have let them witness that?  I had turned into the very monster they were probably taught to fear.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I stammered. Tears swelled up in my eyes. It stung my eyeballs.


    At that instant, people rushed into the ssroom and took away the children but their gaze took away my will to speak. In their eyes, I was the monster. Soon, everywhere was quiet until the ssroom door burst open again and Kieran rushed in, his eyes scanned the room.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I rushed towards him fighting the tears that rushed freely from my eyes.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He held me and then shifted his gaze to Darrick¡¯s lifeless body.


    ¡°ra,¡± he eximed. He pulled me into a tight embrace. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I leaned into his embrace feeling the warmth of his body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. It just happened. I was¡­ I was with the Kids telling a story.  I heard heartbeats and footsteps and then I saw him. He said his name was Darrick and he wanted to kill me. I¡­ drained him,¡± I choked out.


    Kieran pulled back, holding me at arm¡¯s length.  His eyes searched mine.


    ¡°You¡­¡± he started, ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I had no choice; he was going to kill me and harm the kids. Now everyone thinks I¡¯m a monster,¡± I stammered, tears spilling down my cheeks.


    He pulled me into another hug, this one tighter than thest.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he murmured in my ear. ¡°You protected them. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Even with his soothing words, the fear and the shame remained. I had taken a life, and watching the children cower in fear confirmed my worst nightmare.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± I asked, pulling away slightly. My eyes moved towards Darrick¡¯s body.


    ¡°We get you out of here. The driver is waiting at the back entrance. He¡¯ll take you somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°But the children¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle them. Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± he assured.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help but worry. Leaving these frightened children, knowing that they had just witnessed something so horrific. I feel so guilty, Kieran.¡±


    He cupped my face in his hands, his touch warm and reassuring.


    ¡°ra, listen to me. This isn¡¯t something you should have to deal with alone.  Let me handle this.¡±


    He looked at the children once more, then back at me.  His eyes held a deep well of emotions. Something I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± he whispered.


    There was no time for arguments.  The weight of the situation settled over me. I took a final nce at the frightened faces of the children before allowing myself to be pulled away.

 CHAPTER 115: FROM THE TOP AGAIN

    I couldn¡¯t just stay at the pce as Kieran had instructed. I needed to be back in school for the children to see that they were fine and probably exin a few things to them. Kieran had promised not to treat me like a ve and so he had no choice but to allow me back on the school grounds.


    The silence in the ssroom was suffocating.  It wasn¡¯t the peaceful quiet of a focused ss, it was heavy and oppressive. The children that once brimmed with boundless energy, huddled in corners with their eyes glued to the floorboards.


    ¡°Tommy?¡± I called out; my voice trembled slightly.  Little Tommy who was usually the first to raise his hand, didn¡¯t even dare to look up. Shame burned in my throat even more.


    The fear that grew in me suddenly turned into desperation. I needed to exin, to reassure them that I wasn¡¯t a monster. But the words felt hollow on my tongue.  The image of Darrick¡¯s lifeless body, the raw power that had coursed through me  it all happened and I did it all.


    I tried again, my voice cracking slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened kids. Look, that man was the monster. I¡­ I just wanted to help.  I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    The ssroom door creaked open and a teacher walked in. Her gaze flickered between me and the petrified children, and without a word, she backed away and mmed the door shut.


    Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I felt the need to escape. Like always, I should have listened to Kieran and stayed back. I stumbled out of the ssroom, tears streaming down my face.  The hallway was deserted and quiet. As soon as I reached the car, I copsed into the passenger seat, a choked sob escaping my lips.


    ¡°Please,¡± I stammered as tears swallowed my voice, ¡°Please¡­ take me back.¡±


    The driver nced at me through the rare-view mirror but he didn¡¯t ask any question. He pulled out of the schoolyard, and as we sped through the city, I buried my face in my hands, the image of terrified children shing behind my eyelids.


    Back at the pce, I found Kieran in his study.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I choked out, rushing into his arms.  My sobs wracked him, tears soaking his shirt.  He held me tight, his voice was a soothing rumble in my ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s alright, ra.  You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    But I wasn¡¯t safe.  Not from the fear in the children¡¯s eyes, not from the guilt that ate me up inside. Kieran might have been able tofort me physically, but he couldn¡¯t erase the emotional pain I had experienced.


    We sat in silence for a long time. Finally, my phone buzzed.  It was a message from the school.  My hands trembled as I opened it.


    ¡°Due to unforeseen circumstances, your employment at our institution is terminated effective immediately.¡±


    The words swam before my eyes.  Fired. They had fired me.


    Kieran took the phone from me. I watched as his eyes moved with the text.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with this. But right now, you need to rest.¡±


    I nodded still holding him closely.


    The days that followed were a blur of emptiness like it never happened. I spent most of my time indoors. Ignoring the outside world even if Kieran asked me to apany him to a function. I still chose my bed over everything. The hope that had within me as well as the belief that I could make a difference, had all faded away. I spent most of my time in the pce library, seeking sce in books, but even the fictional world couldn¡¯t offer me any means of escape from the harsh reality that awaited me.


    On a sunny afternoon, I went down to the pce library as usual but every book seemed not enough distraction for me. And I knew that I needed every bit of distraction that I could get. Anything to change my thoughts. I stumped out of the library. It wasn¡¯t a good day for a book. Just as I walked past the Kitchen, I heard voices. It seemed the maid couldn¡¯t decide on who would go for groceries at the grocery store and so I got closer. The maids wentpletely silent by the time they saw me.


    ¡°I can help with that, I was heading to the grocery store anyway,¡± I said.


    They looked at each other and then back at me. I nodded and watched them.


    ¡°No, my queen. We can¡¯t possibly send you on errands.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not you can¡¯t do that. I just want to help. Seems no one wants to go. And I¡¯m bored as fuck in this pce.¡±


    ¡°No, my queen. We would sort it out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine seriously,¡± I said but they still won¡¯t bulge.


    I shrugged and walked on still holding the thought of going shopping.


    I decided to take a walk to a nearby store.  The walk itself was all that I needed but it wasn¡¯t as easy as I had anticipated. People stared at me. Whispers followed me like shadows, words like ¡°chosen one¡± and ¡°witch¡± came from their lips.


    Reaching the store, I grabbed a basket and started going through the aisles.  But even here, the fear was palpable. People hurried past me, avoiding eye contact.


    Just then, I came across a child in one of the sections. He looked around as though he was lost and I walked closer to him.


    ¡°Hey, Kiddo. Where is your mummy?¡± I stayed on one knee.


    ¡°She was right here,¡± the kid said.


    ¡°Maybe she ising for you,¡± I said caressing his hair. Just then, one woman walked towards me.


    ¡°Here, you are,¡± she said as soon as she approached us.


    ¡°I saw your¡­¡±


    Before I could finish, she clutched him closer, muttering something about ¡°monsters.¡±


    My chest tightened. I wanted to respond maybe say something to her but then I couldn¡¯t find the words and so I just had to let it go.


    My hands trembled as I put down the items I had picked up. The joy of shopping that I hade with, had been stolen from me.  Leaving the basket behind, I fled the store, the fear of their gazes was a chilling reminder of my predicament.


    Back in the pce, I found Kieran on the training grounds he sparred with one of the guards.  He stopped when he saw me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, rushing towards me.


    ¡°They¡­ they fear me,¡± I choked out, the tears threatening to spill again.


    ¡°Who?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Everyone. Every dawn person. They call me names now. They called me a witch.¡±


    He took a deep breath; his voice became softer when he spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t understand,¡± he said, taking my hand. ¡°They¡¯re scared. But we will find a way to exin it to them.¡±


    His words offered hope, but it was like a fragile me flickering in a strong wind.  Could he truly change their minds? I didn¡¯t know that for sure.


    Days turned into weeks, and the whispers around the kingdom grew louder. Everyone saw me like a demonic figure now.


    The next morning, an urgent message arrived from the pce gates. It was from the neighboring kingdoms, the ones who had attended the celebration.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Kieran offered his hands. But I looked away. I knew whatever it was that they came with was against me.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°You have to. You are the queen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fucking monster. The people now see me as a monster. Just go alone. I can¡¯t face them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll only prove them right if you don¡¯t with me. You are not a monster. You are only trying to save this kingdom and that¡¯s in happened in that school that day. No one is going to see this unless you show them.¡±


    I exhaled forcefully and took his hand.


    Kieran led them into the grand hall, where I waited anxiously. The leader stepped forward.


    ¡°Our King, we havee seeking answers.  The rumors¡­ are they true?¡±


    Kieran stepped forward, ¡°The rumors are true,¡± he dered. ¡°ra possesses unique abilities, ones that are essential for the protection of this kingdom. And she only killed that Alpha because heunched an attack on her and unfortunately, the kids were present to witness it. It wasn¡¯t a good sight for anyone to behold especially the kids. But it happened and she did what she had to do to defend herself.


    The people exchanged nervous nces.  Another member, a stout woman with steely eyes, spoke up.


    ¡°Protection?  Or destruction?¡± she scoffed.  ¡°You im your chosen one drained the life force of an Alpha. What kind of monster have you unleashed upon us?


    Monster. The word echoed in my head, confirming my worst fears.  Kieran took my hand in his.

 CHAPTER 116: THE MONSTER

    ¡°She is not a monster. She saved the lives of those children,¡± he argued.


    ¡°You need to do the needful Kieran. Do as the werewolf council has said. Take her to a ce where her powers would be closely watched. Before she kills us all.¡±


    ¡°ra is no monster.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the people? Ask your people what they really think about their queen.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°You are the King and your people¡¯s welfare should be your priority, right? Then ask them. Whatever they say we will stand by it.¡±


    ¡°In case you all have forgotten. I am king and I don¡¯t take orders from anyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no word for a good king.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to that. But ra is not going away,¡± he said.


    But his words did little to stop their fears.  The people spent the rest of the day arguing, their voices echoing through the grand hall.  Finally, they stormed out.


    As thest of them departed, Kieran turned to me. He forced a smile.


    ¡°They¡¯re afraid.¡±


    ¡°Afraid of me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Afraid of the unknown, afraid of your power,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°And for good reason,¡± I mumbled, tears welling in my eyes. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe they¡¯re right. Maybe I am a monster.¡±


    Kieran cupped my face in his hands.


    ¡°No, ra,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re the chosen one. You are the protector. And we will find a way to make them understand.¡±


    His words echoed in the silence. But I wasn¡¯t sure about anything at the moment.


    Dread grew in my stomach. Days had passed since the tense meeting and the whispers about me being a monster had grown. As I walked into the room, I found Kieran brooding in his study.


    ¡°Kieran, we need to address the people.¡±


    He mmed the book shut, the sound echoing in the silence. ¡°They¡¯ve already made up their minds,¡± he said, ¡°What good would it do?¡±


    ¡°They deserve to be heard. You¡¯re the king, Kieran. You can¡¯t deny them of that.¡±


    Kieran stopped pacing and turned to me.


    ¡°They¡¯re scared, ra. Having a meeting will only fan the mes of fear.¡±


    ¡°But ignoring it won¡¯t make it go away. They need answers, Kieran.  They need to know you¡¯re in control.¡±


    He sighed a deep breath that seemed to carry the weight of the kingdom.


    ¡°Why do you want this? When you know very well that they¡¯ll want you gone,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Right now, I really don¡¯t care about that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have a meeting.  But I can¡¯t promise it will change anything.¡±


    ¡°At least, you¡¯ll give them an exnation.


    Kieran met my gaze.


    ¡°And what exnation can I offer that they haven¡¯t already twisted into something else?¡±


    ¡°The truth. They need to hear the truth, not the fearmongering rumors spreading through the streets.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this, ra?  It could be¡­ dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It will be more dangerous if we do nothing.¡±


    The following days were a blur of frantic activity.  Announcements about the king¡¯s address spread through the city, recing the whispers of fear with cautious anticipation.  As for me, I spent hours indoors thinking of how I¡¯d cope in whatever situation I would be left to cope with. People gathered in the central square.


    Kieran stood by my side on the tform, his hand warm and reassuring on my hand. He gave me a small nod. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, I could feel the weight of a thousand eyes on me.


    Kieran cleared his throat, his voice ringing out in the silence.  ¡°People of this great Kingdom,¡± he began, his voice firm and steady.  ¡°I stand before you today to address the concerns that have gued our kingdom.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He spoke of the attack at the school, the danger Darrick posed, and his attempt to harm the children.  He spoke of my actions, not as a monster, but as a protector, someone who used her unique abilities to defend the innocent.


    With each word he spoke, I could feel the tension in the crowd shift.  Some faces remained unyielding.  But others softened a bit.


    Then, came the dreaded part. Kieran turned to me.


    ¡°Now, I want to hear from you, the people,¡± he dered. ¡°ra, the chosen one, is here. Speak your mind.  Let her know what troubles you.¡±


    The crowd became silent and then a voice rose above the murmurs, a woman.


    ¡°She killed a man, your majesty. Is this the protector you promised us?¡±


    There was an uproar amongst the crowd. My stomach churned.


    Kieran held up a hand, silencing the crowd.  ¡°I understand your fear. But understand this  she acted to save lives.  Would you prefer she had done nothing while an Alpha attacked innocent children?¡±


    No one responded.


    Another voice, a weathered man with a steely gaze, spoke up.  ¡°We don¡¯t need a monster as our protector,¡± he argued. ¡°We need someone who can fight like a warrior, not¡­ not drain the life force out of someone.¡±


    I felt a sting of tears prick my eyes.


    ¡°But she stopped him, right?¡±  a young boy, no older than eight, spoke up.  He looked at me, his eyes wide and curious, not with fear like the rest of the people.


    ¡°She protected us from the bad man,¡± he added. The murmur continued a louder now as most of the people faced him. Some agreed with the boy while others shushed him.


    Kieran seized the opportunity. ¡°Exactly, she may not be a warrior, but her abilities are unique, powerful enough to defend us against threats.¡±


    He gestured towards me, ¡°She¡¯s not a monster.  She¡¯s a protector, one who possesses a power that can save this kingdom.  But she can¡¯t do it alone.  She needs your trust and understanding.¡±


    The crowd was quiet again as they listened to their king. I tried to read them through their eyes but there were too many eyes staring back. I didn¡¯t know which to begin with.


    I held my breath awaiting the next words to be thrown at me. But none came immediately.


    Finally, a woman stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡­ I understand your point, Your Majesty. And we are good people known for caring and unity but I think that the members of the werewolf council are right. She might not be a witch but she surely possesses powers that we have not seen before. And we are terrified of these powers. What she can do with them in just a second is beyond our imagination. So, I would suggest that she goes with the people so that they would help her better understand her powers, my King,¡± she bowed and stepped back inside the crowd and the murmur continued.


    Hearing those words, I knew that it was almost cause. The people needed me out. My heart skipped a bit as Kieran grip on my hand tightened. I turned and faced him but he still kept his eyes on the people.


    ¡°You have spoken well,¡± he said as the murmurs died down, ¡°indeed, this kingdom is known for its hospitality but not anymore,¡± he paused as everyone watched. Then he continued, ¡°Now I see you all as selfish. You have no care nor unity in your heart. If you did, you would not think of casting away your queen in the hands of the people who would use her asb rats in a ce that we have no idea about. She is our queen, did you forget?¡± The murmurs continued for a bit before finally dying off.


    ¡°So, what is it going to be?¡± Kieran asked.

 CHAPTER 117: WITH THE PEOPLE

    ¡°We can¡¯t ept this!¡± a burly man with a thick beard roared, his spit flew into the air. ¡°A witch amongst us. We¡¯d rather face our enemies with bare des than rely on her¡­ sorcery!¡±


    The crowd roared in agreement. A wave of nausea rose in my throat.


    Kieran held up his hand, his voice calm but firm. ¡°I understand your fear,¡± he began, ¡°but ra is not a witch. She is the chosen one, a guardian with abilities that can protect us.¡±


    Stealing a nce at Kieran, my heart plummeted.  He stood tall, but I knew that we¡¯d need to do a lot more than that.


    The burly man pushed his way back to the front.


    ¡°We¡¯re giving you a choice, Your Majesty. Get rid of her, or face the consequences.¡±


    The crowd roared in unison as some of them nodded in agreement. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I had tried to hold it in at least until I was back in my own space but it wasn¡¯t working. It was like their words crushed me every time that I heard them. They were asking Kieran to choose between his people and me. And for a terrifying moment, I believed he might just choose them.


    Kieran did not say anything. I could feel his eyes on me for a second. I just couldn¡¯t look at him. Not at the time that the people were demanding something like that. I knew that the people had power. Kieran was strong and undeniably a good King but he couldn¡¯t possibly stand against the people. Apart from the obvious consequences, I was just one person against a multitude. There was no way in the world that he was going to choose me over the desires of the people. I didn¡¯t know which was more terrifying, the hate words from the people, the look on their faces, or Kieran¡¯s silence. His silence stretched on, agonizingly long.  Each passing second felt like an eternity, and the thought of what his decision might be, pressed down on me.


    Say something.


    I wished I could whisper the words to him. I wanted to tell me to speak so that I could finally breathe and know my fate. I never knew being left on the fence could be so exhausting. At that moment, I didn¡¯t even know which side of the fence I would choose to be in. No matter what Kieran told the people, they believed that I was a witch sent to the town to cause destruction and maybe, turn their King against them. And I wasn¡¯t quite doing anything to prove them otherwise.


    ¡°Send her away and let¡¯s continue to be in peace!¡± Someone from the crowd spoke.


    Finally, Kieran looked up again. I knew it was time to hear the words. I just didn¡¯t want him to let the people take me out. It would be brutal. I was willing to see myself out. In my peaceful way. I shut my eyes for a second and breathed in deeply.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± he dered. I opened my eyes and turned quickly at him. His gaze swept over the hostile crowd.


    ¡°ra is not a monster.  She is a vital part of this kingdom, and I will not let her go.¡±


    The crowdpletely went mute. Even I didn¡¯t expect it.


    I stared at Kieran, my tears drying up in my eyes.  He was choosing me.  He was standing by me, even in the face of the people.


    The burly man recovered first; his face was already contorted in rage.


    ¡°You choose a witch over your people?¡± he bellowed.


    Kieran held his gaze steady.


    ¡°I choose what¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°ra is not a threat. She is a protector, and those who threaten her threaten the kingdom.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The crowd¡¯s uproar erupted again, this time, it was a chaotic mix of anger and confusion.


    ¡°I know that you all seek the protection of the Kingdom. But it is not your responsibility. I am your King and so your protector. You don¡¯t have to worry about ra because she is not a witch. Instead, she seeks for the welfare of the people. And so, you should not be scared instead, you should be grateful. And with that being said, I do not want to hear of this witch usations again. We are a Kingdom and therefore we should live as one. We should look out for each other and not against each other because ra is one of us now. She is my mate and your queen. She hade to stay. This meeting is over!¡± Kieran dered. He took a nce at me before facing the crowd again.


    As usual, the people did not seem to take it. As the crowd dispersed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion came over me. It wasn¡¯t over yet but the meeting was and I was still standing there and being dragged out by an angry mob. Kieran turned to me, a weary smile gracing his lips.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy,¡± he admitted, ¡°But we got through it.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Choose me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Because you are not a witch. You might be stubborn and a bit shitty sometimes but you don¡¯t deserve what the people want for you. What you did at the school wasn¡¯t your fault. You were only trying to protect the kids. That¡¯s the kind of people we need in this Kingdom. So, you aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°So, what about the people?¡±


    ¡°The people don¡¯t understand it yet. But trust me, they will.¡±


    I smiled and threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, ¡°Thank you for believing in me, even when I doubted myself.¡±


    Kieran held me tight, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered.


    The path wouldn¡¯t be easy, but with Kieran by my side, I knew I could face it all.     I knew the day would be a lot better when the bright rays of sunlight streamed through the training room windows. It cast long shadows across the floor. The echo of our shing wooden swords faded, as I withdrew from Kieran. My muscles ached as sweat glued to my skin like its secondyer. But the physical tiredness was nothingpared to what I felt inside.


    Yesterday¡¯s meeting with the people still reyed in my head. The anger and fear in the crowd was still a fresh wound. They didn¡¯t want me. They saw my abilities not as a harbinger of doom. Kieran had done the unthinkable. Amidst the feelings I got from being protected by him, I felt scared. Even without Kieran¡¯s word about a pending war, I knew that I still had a lot to do. And I needed to be strong when it all began.


    Kieran¡¯s chest heaved slightly as soon as we stopped. He stood across from me.  His gaze was unreadable. Like a mask that hid whatever emotions he might be feeling.  But I knew there was concern beneath the surface, the one that mirrored mine.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked still watching me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said and walked back taking off sweat from my forehead.


    ¡°You just stopped what¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle. Just tired.¡±


    ¡°Then we should rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not that.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a bit emotionally drained. That¡¯s just it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand. I won¡¯t say that I am perfectly fine emotionally. But we¡¯ve started this fight. I chose you for a reason.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± I looked at him but he turned away quickly.


    ¡°We need to keep training, ra. The people may be apprehensive, but war ising. We need to be prepared,¡± he said.


    I nodded, forcing my doubts down. Now wasn¡¯t the time to crumble. I knew that but I still needed to constantly remind myself. It helped put me in ce.

 CHAPTER 118: A GOOD START

    The following days fell into a routine of training sessions. I didn¡¯t want it to end. Every day, I would be at the training session before anyone else. Stroking my sword into the air and punching heavy sand-filled bags so my fists would be firm. I heard the big door creak and a strange-looking man walked in. He seemed dressed for a training session.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said as he got in.


    ¡°Where is Kieran?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Kieran wouldn¡¯t being in today. I would be your tutor,¡± he said.


    I nodded without further asking setting my position. He was strong and swift and like a robot that never got tried. Just then, I knew that Kieran had been merciful the whole time.


    On a sunny afternoon, after a particrly intense session, I found myselfgging as Kieran went to retrieve water. I felt frustrated as usual. It was like no matter how hard I trained, a nagging feeling still resurfaced. I still doubted if I was doing enough.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I jolted hearing his voice from behind me.


    ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Long enough to know that you are not okay. So don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty long. So, you¡¯ve been staring.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic.¡±


    He ced the water bottle down and came to stand beside me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, ra?¡± he asked in a gentle tone. I almost felt at ease.


    I hesitated. Unsure of how to begin but I knew that I would have to talk to him anyway.


    ¡°Why do you stand by me, Kieran?  Even after everything¡­ even when the people¡­¡±  My voice trailed off, choked with emotions I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately, he looked ahead and settled well beside me.


    ¡°I mean, I know that you care for me as one of your people. But whenever I think about that day, I still can¡¯t ce my head around it. You could lose your people¡¯s love and respect just because of me. I really do not want that. I still don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°ra, you are more than your abilities.  You are brave,passionate, and stronger than you think.¡±


    His words struck a chord within me. I had not expected Kieran to say such kind words to me. I mean he has always been supportive but that was it.


    He continued, his gaze meeting mine. He had a warm flicker in his eyes.


    ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, they don¡¯t deserve you. They are afraid of what they don¡¯t understand. You are amazing. I never thought I¡¯d say this but you have made me a better person. Everything we have been through has shown me a lot about life. I cannot let you go even if the world turns against me,¡± he said firmly.


    I fixed my gaze on the wall. His words were like a balm to my wounded spirit. Kieran was sweet and loving. I had never seen him be any more sincere. And he had called my name not that of his ex. He has chosen me instead of the wishes of his people.


    A blush crept up my cheeks, a warmth blossoming in my chest.  This wasn¡¯t just respect or admiration I saw in his eyes  it was something deeper, something that sent a thrill through me.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­¡± I started, my voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying,¡± he interrupted, ¡°that they¡¯ll learn. And when they do, they¡¯ll be grateful to have you on their side.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t deny the fact that I had read a different meaning to his words. Like a double meaning, a promise of a future where the people would not only ept me but also value me. Although, it also hinted at a future where we would face those challenges together. A future that, until now, I hadn¡¯t dared to dream of.


    But all the same, I smiled and nodded in agreement.


    We continued training a bit longer and I felt different. Knowing that he had my back. I was determined to have his.


    Days turned to weeks and the talk of war grew louder. Although the people were still very dear to their King, I was the only problem.  My training intensified, pushing me to the limits of my abilities. Kieran drilled me into reaching my full energy. He was ever so supportive. The more I trained, the more confident I became in myself and in the powers that I possessed. Although the uncertainty surrounding the people remained.


    On a quiet evening, after a particrly tiring training session, I found Kieran in the pce library. He scanned an ancient scroll.  He looked up as I entered. And smiled as he saw me.


    ¡°Done with training? he asked.


    I nodded, sinking into a chair across from him.


    ¡°Do you think I have prepared enough?¡± I asked.


    Kieran leaned back in his chair; his gaze thoughtful.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done everything we can,¡± he said finally. ¡°The rest depends on fate¡­ and perhaps a little bit of luck.¡±


    His words offered littlefort, but his presence did.  We sat in silence for a while, the only sound the crackling fire in the hearth. I looked at him as he went through the scroll again. I left my gaze on him watching as his hair fell on his face. How could he be so much all at once? After we had been intimate, I had promised not to look at him in that way. But here I was lost in thoughts over him. At that point, I felt like I could tell him anything. Not too long ago, he had been like a pain in my ass. But now, he was different. I wondered if he still thought about his ex-girlfriend the way that I thought about him.


    He shifted his gaze from the scroll to me and I quickly moved my eyes away. I could have sworn that I saw him smile but he faced the scroll again. I adjusted on the chair.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out and he faced me again.


    ¡°About the people¡­¡±


    He raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Do you¡­ do you ever wonder what it would be like¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure of how to bring out the yearning in my heart.


    He leaned forward, his gaze meeting mine.  ¡°What it would be like?¡± he prompted.


    ¡°To¡­ to be loved by the people, not feared,¡± blurted out.


    Kieran chuckled.


    ¡°Loved by the people, huh?¡± he repeated, his smile widening.


    ¡°Well, sometimes respect is all you can ask for. But trust me, ra,¡± he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper, ¡°earning their respect is a good start.¡±

 CHAPTER 119: THIS FEELING

    The training room door mmed shut behind me with a satisfying thud. The ache in every muscle of my body increased as I headed back to my room. The days session had been brutal. I pushed myself further than ever before, testing the limits of my endurance and control over my energy. It was necessary, I knew, but right now, all I craved was a good night¡¯s rest.


    I stumbled towards the chambers I now shared with Kieran. I had opted to move out several times but Kieran had thought that it would only increase the suspicion of the people. Each step I took towards the room was a challenge against the weight in my limbs. My vision blurred as sweat rolled down my eyes.


    Reaching the room, I flung the door open and practically copsed onto the plush rug. Kieran wasn¡¯t in yet so I knew I had a limited time to getfortable before he arrived.


    I shed my training gear, tossing it onto a nearby chair. The hot water from the bath was a temporary escape from the throbbing ache in my body. I sighed in relief as I sank into the tub allowing the warmth seeped into my muscles, loosening the knots of tension. The sweet smell ofvender and chamomile filled the room with a calming scent.  But even the soothing aroma couldn¡¯t erase the dull ache that I felt.


    As soon as I feltfortable enough in my skin, I dragged myself out of the bath wrapped myself in a thick towel, and walked barefoot to the bed.  Copsing onto the soft mattress, I buried my face in the cool fabric of the sheets. Sleep was all I could think about.


    Just as I felt a little bit rxed, the door creaked open. I didn¡¯t need to move to know that it was Kieran. I had bided my time well.


    ¡°ra?¡± He called out.


    I opened my eyes, my eyelids heavy with exhaustion.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kieran? You are back already.¡±


    He walked towards the bed.


    ¡°Are you alright? You sound like you¡¯ve had the world on your shoulders all day.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Literally,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ exhausted,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Today¡¯s training was¡­ intense.¡±


    He knelt beside the bed.


    ¡°Maybe a little too intense. You pushed yourself very hard.¡±


    I managed a weak smile. ¡°I guess I did,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I wanted to¡­ I wanted to prove myself.¡±


    He reached out and tweaked my cheek.


    ¡°You already have. You¡¯re stronger than you think, ra,¡± he said in a low murmur.


    I blushed. I knew he wouldn¡¯t see the redness on my pale skin but it was there.


    ¡°You know what? There might actually be something I can do to help with the soreness.¡±


    I looked up at him.


    ¡°Help?¡±


    ¡°A massage, ¡°he exined, his gaze dropped to my shoulders, where my muscles strained under the weight of exhaustion. ¡°It might help loosen up the tension.¡±


    A massage?  From Kieran?  The thought sent a thrill through me.  We had grown closer over the weeks, a silent bond forming between us.  But the touch had always been absent.  The idea of his hands on me, easing the ache in my body, was both enticing and felt a bit out of ce.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I stammered, unsure of how to react.


    ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re notfortable¡­¡± he began to retract his hand.


    I reached out, my fingers brushing against his.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, ¡°I mean¡­ yes.  If you think it would help¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it will. Come on rx. I¡¯ve got magic hands,¡± he chuckled. He left the bed and headed to a drawer retrieving a small bottle.


    ¡°Finest massage oil in town. With this my hands and this oil, you¡¯ll be good as new,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh please, you might be strong but you¡¯ve got baby hands,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°And who says baby hands can¡¯t do the magic?¡±


    He settled on the edge of the bed. Taking a deep breath, I scooted back, giving him space to work.  With a gentle touch, he began at my shoulders, his fingers kneading my muscles.


    The pain, which had been a dull ache before, became a strange sensation under his touch.  It was both painful and oddly pleasant.  I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of his hands moving over my skin.


    He worked his way down my back, his touch was firm yet sensitive, each stroke sending a wave of rxation washing over me.  The tension that had been holding my body hostage seemed to melt away with each press of his fingers.


    Suddenly, he paused, with his hands still on my back as he pressed slowly. I still felt the tension but it wasn¡¯t the same from the stress of the day. It was different like a shift in the atmosphere that had nothing to do with the massage.


    He leaned in closer, his voice a low murmur in my ear.  ¡°You¡¯re doing incredibly well today,¡± he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.  ¡°Strong and resilient, both physically and mentally.¡±


    His words sent a blush creeping up my neck.  I turned slightly, my gaze meeting his.  His eyes were darkened with an emotion I couldn¡¯t decipher, but they held me captive nheless.


    He moved his hand slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair off my shoulder.  His fingers lingered for a bit too long, the warmth of his touch thrilled me. Sending a rush of wetness in between my legs.


    ¡°You deserve a break,¡± he said, his voice husky.  ¡°From training, from everything.¡±


    Before I could respond, we both jumped at the sharp knock on the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a guard¡¯s voice called out from the other side.  ¡°Urgent message from the border.¡±


    Kieran cursed under his breath.  He rose from the bed, his touch stayed on me for a moment before pulling away.


    ¡°Duty calls,¡± he sighed.


    I nodded, ¡°I understand, thank you for the massage,¡± I managed to say.


    He gave me a small smile, ¡°Get some rest, ra,¡± he said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it.  ¡°We¡¯ll continue this¡­ter.¡±


    As he left the room, closing the door behind him, I sank back into the pillows.


    The massage, though unfinished, had left its mark  not just on my sore muscles, but on my heart as well.  The line between duty and desire had blurred, leaving me yearning for the continuation of his touch. I didn¡¯t want him to stop. Could there be a time for a king without a duty? Even if I felt too tired to raise my body, sleep felt a bit distant at the moment. Gradually, I closed my eyes and it was like I could see him again. With his hands pressed against my body. It wasn¡¯t just a feeling that I felt every day.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what woke me up, the yellow sunlight streamed through the window but its ray wasn¡¯t close to where my heady. Maybe it could be the gentle aroma that rushed in through my nose. I couldn¡¯t quite describe it. Wasn¡¯t seething g I smelled very often after the food shortage. But I could tell the scent of mixtures of sweet berries and warm bread. It tickled my nose, pulling me from the clutches of sleep.  I blinked open my eyes, a yawn escaping my lips.

 CHAPTER 120: A SPECIAL DAY

    For a moment, Iy there, confused, trying to ce the unfamiliar scent.  Then, I noticed it  a tray sat on the bedside table,den with a te of golden pancakes drizzled with honey, a bowl of plump, juicy berries, and a steaming cup of tea.


    A smile grew on my face.  This wasn¡¯t something I normally received.  Breakfast in bed was a luxury reserved for people who deserved it. Not me.


    I reached for the tea, taking a long sip.  It was warm and tasted just perfect. Like the perfect pick-me-up after a long night¡¯s sleep.  My mind moved to Kieran. I wondered if he was the one behind this unexpected treat.


    Just as I was about to take another bite of the delicious pancake, the door creaked open.  Kieran entered he had a sheepish grin on his face.  He was dressed in casual attire, unlike his usual regal garb.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said, his voiceced with amusement.  ¡°Enjoying the breakfast?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± I stammered, gesturing to the tray.  ¡°This is¡­ amazing.  Thank you.¡±


    He chuckled, his grin widening.  ¡°Think of it as a peace offering.¡±


    ¡°A peace offering?¡± I raised an eyebrow, a yful smile tugging at the corners of my lips.  ¡°For what transgression?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps for cutting our¡­ session shortst night,¡± he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper.


    My cheeks rose at the memory of his unfinished massage, the lingering warmth of his touch made me smile again.  ¡°Oh,¡± I mumbled, looking down at my te.


    He came closer, cing a hand on the back of my chair.  ¡°But fear not,¡± he continued, his voice low and teasing.  ¡°There will be other opportunities.¡±


    His words sent a thrill through me. I chuckled. The way he looked at me, the way his voice dropped to a whisper when he spoke to me  it was all so different from his usual way.


    He leaned in; his breath warm against my ear.  ¡°Now,¡± he said, his voice was a gentle rumble, ¡°get ready.  I¡¯m taking you for a treat.¡±


    A surprised gasp escaped my lips.  ¡°Taking me¡­ where?¡±


    He pulled back, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  ¡°That,¡± he said, ¡°is a secret.¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡­ what is this Kieran?¡± I asked with my arms folded. I was waiting for it. The part where he woulde all out with a roar and tell me, ¡°In your dreams. Or it¡¯s just a prank.¡± Or maybe something that could actually make sense. Something that would make me feel like I was talking to the real Kieran.


    ¡°What is what?¡±


    ¡°You being all sweet and nice to me. First the massage now this fancy breakfast in bed. Now you are talking about taking me pit for a treat. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s been a long week with a lot of stress. Seeing you yesterday working so hard to make everything ready so that you could help defend the kingdom is sweet. You are ady and deserve to be treated like one. Let me just do this. Let¡¯s forget all about the problems for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I was speechless.


    ¡°So, are you in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡±


    I tried to hide the excitement but it bubbled in my chest, pushing aside the remnants of sleepiness.  The promise of a secret outing from Kieran. A break from the not ending training and looming war was much better than any amount of rest.


    ¡°Come on!¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I said, pushing myself out of bed feeling the energy.  The ache from yesterday¡¯s training was still there. I could still feel the dull throb in my muscles, but it was overshadowed by the anticipation of the day ahead.


    Kieran watched me with a smile, his gaze lingering on me for a while.  I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, self-conscious under his gaze.  He quickly moved his eyes, the smile reced by a hint of amusement.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± he said, his voice casual, but the yful glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement.  ¡°But don¡¯t take too long.  We have a surprise to catch.¡±


    The yful banter felt different, charged with something new. Just then, it urred to me that we have been through a lot together. Perhaps we needed this. I needed this. It made me even more eager to leave the pce and spend some time alone with him, away from the pressures of duty and every other thing that came with it.


    I hurried through my morning routine, washing away the stiffness of sleep with cool water.  Dressing in something light andfortable, I braided my hair back, opting for practicality over formality.


    Finally ready, I emerged from my chambers to find Kieran waiting outside, his hands sped behind his back.  He looked up, his face lighting up with a genuine smile at the sight of me.


    ¡°Ready for adventure?¡± he asked.


    I returned his smile, a sense of anticipation tingling in my stomach.  ¡°Absolutely,¡± I answered.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He extended his arm towards me. It was a gesture both formal and inviting.  I slipped my hand into his, his touch sent a warmth that moved up my arm.


    As we walked out of the pce and got towards the car that awaited us, I couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Kieran.  The man I saw reflected in the morning sunlight looked very much different. He was more rxed; his eyes held a spark of something I hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Perhaps, the need for a secret outing wasn¡¯t just for me. Maybe, just maybe, Kieran was looking forward to this escape as much as I was, I thought.


    The ride was a blur as I had thought that it would.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked hoping it was time that he would spill.


    ¡°Uh-uh. Not telling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just too curious. Don¡¯t know how much longer I can hold it.¡±


    Kieran remained tight-lipped about our destination, only offering a knowing smile whenever I pressed him for details.  This only fuelled my excitement, the mystery adding to the allure of the day.


    Finally, the car came to a halt in front of a grand building, its ornate facade illuminated by flickering gasmps.  Golden lettering above the entrance proimed it to be ¡°The Secret Garden.¡±


    Kieran helped me out of the car, his hand glued to mine for a man.


    He led me up a flight of marble stairs, the scent of exotic flowers and freshly baked bread filling the air. The heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a scene straight out of a fairy tale.


    The restaurant was like a haven of elegance.  Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow over plush velvet chairs and polished mahogany tables.  On the walls, ornately framed paintings depicted idylldscapes and mythical creatures.  Murmurs of conversation and the gentle tinkling of music filled the air, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.


    Kieran pulled out a chair for me.  As I sat down, my eyes scanned the room, taking in the beauty of the surroundings.


    ¡°This ce is¡­ amazing,¡± I breathed, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of my lips.


    ¡°I thought you might like it,¡± Kieran said.


    A waiter in a crisp white tuxedo approached our table. He presented us with menus in rich leather. I flipped through the pages, my eyes widening at the unfamiliar dishes and exotic delicacies.


    ¡°Have you ever been here before?¡± I asked Kieran, unable to contain my curiosity.


    He chuckled.  ¡°This is my little secret escape,¡± he admitted.  ¡°A ce to unwind and enjoy a taste of the outside world.¡±


    We spent the next hour immersed in conversation mostly about how the food tasted. Kieran seemed rxed, his eyes crinkling at the corners whenever he smiled.  We talked about everything and nothing  his childhood, his favorite books, his hopes for the kingdom.


    Kieran knew how to tell good stories. I never knew until now. Maybe it was because of how we just connected again. Like we could talk all night long. I missed that feeling. He had a great deal of passion for knowledge, well, I wasn¡¯t surprised and concerned for the well-being of his people  it made him even more attractive in my eyes.

 CHAPTER 121: THE INCIDENT

    At one point, as we were discussing a particrly amusing incident from training, our eyes met across the table.  For a moment, time seemed to stand still. A blush crept up my cheeks, and I quickly looked away, feeling a fluttering in my chest.


    What just happened?


    We finished the meal with a decadent dessert, a chocte cake so rich and so delicious that Kieran smacked his lips so loudly. As thest bite disappeared, afortable silence settled between us.


    ¡°Thank you, Kieran,¡± I said. ¡°This has been¡­ wonderful.¡±


    He met my gaze. ¡°Thank you, ra,¡± he replied, his voice a low murmur.  ¡°For sharing this evening with me.¡±


    I smiled and stared at him.


    ¡°Of course, it has been an honour. My King,¡± he blushed.


    ¡°Oh did you just blush?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He held his cheek shyly.


    ¡°You just blushed.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Oh stop ra. Kings don¡¯t blush.¡±


    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t be rediculous. But it did look good on you though.¡±


    He smiled.


    Finally, Kieran signaled for the waiter, and we reluctantly made our way out of the restaurant.  The night air felt cool and crisp after the warmth of the restaurant, but the warmth remained within me, glowing brighter than the gasmps illuminating the street.


    As we walked back to the car, Kieran ced a hand on my back, guiding me gently over the uneven cobblestones.


    The drive back to the pce was much quiet. But I knew that we were in our thoughts. Probably thinking about what had just happened. I couldn¡¯t help but think that we had a kind of connection. I leaned back against the seat, with this feeling of satisfaction over me. Today, Kieran hadn¡¯t just shown me a gorgeous ce. Perhaps the finest ce in rage city but he had opened a door within me that revealed something new and pure. Maybe it was there but I never knew that. And as the car moved on, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where the path would lead us. If maybe, it was something. Just couldn¡¯t put away the fact that he made meugh so hard that I nearly forgot about every messy bit that has been going on.


    The weeks that followed focused more on training. My connection with Kieran grew stronger. It was like a silent understanding that weaved itself into the fabric of our interactions.  He wasn¡¯t just the king; he had be a friend Someone I could rely on without reservation.


    The training sessions had be more intense now, pushing me to new limits.  My control over my energy improved, allowing me to focus it into powerful bursts, both for offense and defense. With each passing day, I felt myself bing stronger, and more confident in my abilities. It was good and Kieran made it feel better. Although the people hadn¡¯t stopped their nagging worry. Kieran¡¯s presence made it much easier. I didn¡¯t go anywhere without him. We went out more often. Like we were actually living the life even with the looming war.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡±


    I turned towards the door of the training hall. It was Kieran.


    He winked as he caught my eyes.


    ¡°Are you flirting with your queen?¡± I said wiping sweat off my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful evening. I¡¯m only here to take you for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Look Kieran, I¡¯ve had a long day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a walk. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Alright. That¡¯s fine.¡±


    The setting sun cast long shadows across the neatly trimmed hedges, painting the sky in a canvas of fiery oranges and pinks.


    As we walked, we didn¡¯t need words to understand each other.  It was a cool evening. Kieran really knew just what I wanted. The breeze hit against my skin as we moved and the edges of my dress were nudged by it. I felt lighter than I would have been if I had buried myself in the duvet.


    ¡°You¡¯re improving,¡± Kieran finally said.


    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± I replied, a smile flitting across my lips.  His relentless training had made me want to do this.


    He chuckled. ¡°We both have a lot to be grateful for,¡± he said, his gaze lingering on me for a beat longer than necessary.


    His words held a double meaning, and a blush crept up my cheeks.  Was it just me, or was there something¡­ more¡­ in the way he looked at metely?


    ¡°What?¡± he said.


    ¡°Nothing, just that you have that look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a bit thrilled.¡±


    ¡°Thrilled?¡± he asked.


    I didn¡¯t know if I should tell him about the way that I now saw him. Or the way that his gaze now lingered on me. And somehow, I loved it.


    ¡°Yeah, thrilled. The weather is thrilling enough.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he took a nce at me and smiled. I smiled too. We continued our walk, the only sound the crunching of gravel beneath our feet. The sky darkened. I have never really been out of the pce by that time. It felt different. As dusk deepened, casting the gardens in an eerie twilight, a movement in the distance caught my eye.  Through the dense leaves covering the path, I saw it  a pair of red eyes, glowing like glowing coal in the darkness. I froze grasping Kieran¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± I whispered; my voice was barely a breath.


    Kieran frowned, peering into the growing darkness.  ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°There,¡± I pointed towards the bushes where the eyes had appeared, ¡°a pair of red eyes.


    He moved closer and I held him back.


    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I want to go check it out.¡±


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out.


    ¡°Heye on. I¡¯ll check it out. Just hold on.¡±


    He checked in between the bushes but there was nothing.  Only the rustling of leaves and the chirping of a lone cricket filled the air.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything, ra,¡± he said, his voiceced with concern.  ¡°Are you sure you saw something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the red eyes.¡±


    ¡°But there was nothing there. Look, calm down. Don¡¯t get all that in your head. It¡¯s okay that you can feel a little scared from all that has been going on.¡±


    I hesitated, my grip tightening on his arm.  I was certain I had seen something, a presence watching us from the shadows.  But maybe it was just my imagination, perhaps a trick of the fading light.


    ¡°Maybe I imagined it,¡± I mumbled, feeling kind of relief although, I felt somehow embarrassed. I haven¡¯t been out by this time since the ident incident. Maybe it was beginning to mess with me.


    Kieran pulled me close putting his hand warm against mine.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, his voice sounded reassuring.  ¡°We¡¯ll be back at the pce soon.  And if there is anything out there, the guards will handle it.¡±


    His words calmed my racing heart. The glowing eyes I had seen felt¡­ different, unlike anything I had encountered before.


    The silence that had settled over us during the walk back to the chamber felt suffocating now. Kieran shrugged off his jacket, his movements were deliberate.


    He stopped in front of me, his gaze searching my face. ¡°Are you alright, ra?¡± His voice was a low murmur.


    I forced a smile, the gesture feeling unnatural on my face. ¡°Yes,¡± I mumbled, the word barely escaping my lips. ¡°Just¡­ tired.¡±


    I knew that he didn¡¯t believe that. I hoped that he would because I didn¡¯t know what else to tell him.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately, his eyes holding mine for a bit too long. I began to feel ufortable. Maybe he saw the way that I felt.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± he said, his voice gentle. ¡°Get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± I mumbled and slipped past him, the silk of my dress brushing against his arm in a fleeting touch. Our contact was brief but it was strong bringing up a spark that I desperately tried to ignore.


    Reaching my bed, I copsed on the soft sheets. The exhaustion from the whole day finally imed me. But as usual, sleep wouldn¡¯te.


    The warmth of a body pressing against my back startled me. I turned slightly, my backing into contact with Kieran¡¯s chest. His arm wrapped gently around my waist, pulling me closer. My breath hitched in surprise, a blush creeping up my neck.


    ¡°Kieran?¡±  I whispered.


    He didn¡¯t respond, but his chin rested on my shoulder. His touch, initially unexpected, sent a wave of warmth through me. The tension that had been coiled within me began to reduce. Theforting rhythm of his breath against my ear thrilled me. Like the evening breeze that I had felt earlier. Without a word, I snuggled closer into his embrace. The worries that came up after seeing those eyes suddenly evaporated.


    As the exhaustion from the day finally caught up with me, my eyelids grew heavy.  The warmth of Kieran¡¯s embrace and the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulled me into a sleep deeper and more peaceful than I had experienced in weeks.

 CHAPTER 122: WHAT’S GOING ON BETWEEN US?

    The weeks flew by but the memory of the red eyes that I had seen in the bushes did not leave my mind. I couldn¡¯t quite shake it off.


    One morning, as I sparred with Kieran in the training room, the memory resurfaced. Sweat dripped down my forehead, the anxiety churning in my stomach. We locked eyes for a beat, and the question that had been simmering within me finally escaped my lips.


    ¡°Did they ever find anything?¡± I asked.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Find anything?¡± he echoed; his voice was normal.


    ¡°From the guards that you sent to check out the red eyes,¡± I rified, ¡°The red eyes in the bushes. Did the guard you sent see anything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, his voice firm. ¡°There was nothing. No sign of intruders, no unusual activity.¡±


    I felt relieved again.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I persisted; my voice had be a touch higher than usual.


    Kieran stopped our sparring session, his gaze fixed on me.  ¡°ra,¡± he said, his voice gentle but firm. ¡°We conducted a thorough investigation. There was no threat.¡±


    Part of me wanted to believe him, to trust in his judgment.  But the memory of the red eyes, so vivid and unsettling, refused to leave my mind.


    ¡°But what if there was something they missed?¡± I countered.


    Kieran sighed, ¡°Then we will deal with it when it presents itself,¡± he said.  ¡°Right now, we focus on what¡¯s real  your training, the kingdom¡¯s safety.¡±


    I nodded.


    Days turned into weeks, and I waited to hear the news of an attack. But nothing came forward. Kieran always said no when I asked about it until eventually, I had to stop. The kingdom remained peaceful, the threats seemingly dissolving. It was like we were normal again. Our training sessions continued, but the conversations became more rxed than how it was before.


    The rhythmic tap of my heels against the polished marble floor echoed through the huge library. Which felt different from the hushed whispers that I was used to. My fingers trailed across the worn spines of leather-bound volumes; each one was a portal to a different world. I needed to find the perfect book.


    Slipping between two towering bookshelves, I frowned in concentration.  Fantasy? Too predictable. History? A bit dry for my current mood.  Suddenly, a shadow fell across the worn rug beneath my feet.  I looked up, startled, to find Kieran standing there.


    ¡°Lost in thebyrinth of literature, Lady ra?¡± he asked, in a low murmur.


    ¡°Just searching for an adventure,¡± I replied, with a yful smile. ¡°Something with a bit of¡­ magic.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re looking in the wrong section,¡± he suggested, his gaze scanning the shelves.  ¡°True magic often lies in the most unexpected ces.¡±


    ¡°Like dusty history tomes?¡± I countered, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said, a glint in his eyes.  ¡°You never know what secrets might be hidden within these ancient pages.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh.  His teasing manner always managed to lighten me up.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I conceded, cing a hand on my hip.  ¡°But keep it down. We are in a library, after all.¡±


    He was shocked, cing a hand over his heart dramatically.  ¡°Forgive me, mdy,¡± he said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb the slumbering spirits of knowledge.¡±


    We both burst outughing, the sound echoed within the space.


    Suddenly, Kieran cleared his throat, in a rather yful way. ¡°Speaking of adventures,¡± he began, his voice dropping again to a low murmur, ¡°would you, perhaps, be interested in embarking on one¡­ with me?¡±


    My heart skipped a bit.  Was he¡­?  A blush crept up my cheeks, and I stammered a reply.  ¡°An adventure?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± he rified, ¡°More like¡­ a date.¡±


    My mind raced, admixtures of emotions going through my mind. Dates weren¡¯t exactly a part of my usual routine.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I began, unsure of how to respond.  ¡°I don¡¯t know, Kieran.  It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, folded piece of paper.  ¡°Think about it,¡± he said, his voice was gentle.  ¡°Here¡¯s the details.¡±


    He ced the note in my hand, his fingers brushing against mine for a moment. I smiled and held on to it.


    Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving me holding the note and a heart-pounding rhythm against my ribs.  A million questions came to my mind.  Where? When?  What should I wear?


    Curiosity gnawed at me, urging me to open the note. After taking in a deep breath, I did. The handwritten note on the paper revealed the location and time of our date. I smiled once I read through it. Kieran surely was old-fashioned. And old fashioned was romantic.


    I was d that he gave me time to think about it for a little while but deep down, I knew I already had my answer.


    The mountain of clothes on my bed grew. With each dress I tossed aside it dawned on me that I had nothing to wear. A date? With Kieran? It was good, felt special, and terrifying all at once.


    The idea of dressing up for anything other than training felt out of ce. My wardrobe was just nothing but a bunch of normal dresses leathers and sturdy fabrics, more suited for every other thing than attracting gazes. Whenever Kieran and I wanted to go out, he always brought in the dress. Now, he wanted it a little more traditional. The more I flipped through the piles, the more I knew that I wasn¡¯t ready for the date.


    A tunic, too casual. Training pants, absolutely not. A crimson dress I¡¯d once worn to a royal ball  far too formal and nothing special.


    I signed and then reached for the back of the closet. There, I saw a garment bag hanging. I opened it, and a ssh of color caught my eyes.  Hesitantly, I pulled out a dress I hadn¡¯t worn in years ¨C a gift from the best designer in the Kingdom. How could I have forgotten about it?¡±


    The fabric was a deep sapphire blue, the color of a clear sky. It glittered softly, catching the light with a sheen. The bodice hugged my curves gently, underlined by delicatece that dipped down the back in a V-shape. The skirt flowed down gracefully, merging around my ankles in a turn of elegance.


    Although, it felt like a costume, something I wore to y a part. Today, it felt different. Holding it up against myself, I knew it was the right dress.


    Slipping into the dress, the cool silk sent a pleasant coolness.  The bodice fit snugly, highlighting my figure without being revealing. The skirt swirled around my legs as I moved.


    As I looked into the mirror, I could barely recognize myself.


    The woman staring back had the same hair but her eyes held a spark of something new. It wasn¡¯t just the dress; it was the way it made me feel  strong, yet feminine, capable yet graceful.


    Reaching for the matching sapphire Kieran had gifted I fastened it around my neck. The cool metal felt grounding against the warmth of my skin. I was actually going to do this.


    Butterflies danced in my stomach as I twirled in front of the mirror, the sapphire fabric swirling around me. The dress wasn¡¯t just a piece of clothing; it made me see myself again. Tonight, I would be ra.

 CHAPTER 123: KIERAN

    My heart pounded so fast as I exited the pce doors. The cool night air came over me. I exhaled forcefully scanning the driveway.


    There, leaning against a sleek ck car, stood Kieran. My breath hitched in my throat. He looked¡­ different.  Gone were the familiar leathers and robes he usually wore. Instead, a well-tailored grey suit hugged his broad frame, the fabric underlined the way his muscles tied beneath the material.


    A crisp white shirt peeked out from under the jacket, the sleeves folded to reveal strong forearms. His hair, usually worn loose, was swept back in a way that made him look both regal and surprisingly handsome. I felt an unfamiliar flutter in my stomach.


    He straightened as I approached, a smile spreading across his face.  ¡°ra,¡± he said, his voice a low murmur.  ¡°You look¡­ incredible.¡±


    I blushed and looked away. The sapphire dress shimmered under the soft glow of the car light., the color even more breath-taking against the cool night air.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled, with a smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself,¡± I added.


    ¡°Oh please, I try.¡± He scoffed.


    He gestured towards the car. ¡°Shall we, mdy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I replied, my voice a little steadier this time.


    He walked around the car. As he reached my side, he opened the door. He was used to doing that but this time, it was different. Towards the special end.


    I stepped into the car and settled in. Kieran shut the door gently after me, then slid into the driver¡¯s seat.  The engine purred to life, and we pulled away from the pce.     ¡°So, what would you have? I hear that they serve the best Foie gras here,¡± he said as soon as we got there.


    On a time like that, the restaurant was unusually calm. It was a weekend and a fine evening. A popr time for couples to go out to fancy ces like that. But instead, it was quiet. Only a few persons with their spouses and violin tunes ying in the background.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet here.¡¯


    ¡°Well, not everyone can afford this ce,¡± he said.


    I smiled; I knew that wasn¡¯t all that there was to it.


    ¡°Okay fine. I kind of reserved the ce for the night.¡±


    I furrowed my brows, ¡°you did that for this date?¡± I wanted to be sure.


    ¡°I did that for you,¡± he said.


    I felt a warm blood rush up my cheeks.


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t mind if the ce is packed.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But you are one hell of a being ra, I need the space and time with you. To have a proper good look at you and I love what I see,¡± Kieran smiled.


    I looked away quickly, what does he mean by that?¡±


    I gasped and rook up the menu, ¡°Let¡¯s start with a bottle of red wine,¡± I said.


    Before long, the wine was brought and poured in two fancy cups. I grabbed one and made the wine grease my lips. Washing a part of my lipstick. It was luxury.


    ¡°Nice,¡± I smiled.


    I tried to watch him whenever he was not looking. The man I saw was still Kieran but a lot was different about him. Like I was sitting in a fancy restaurant reserved just for me in a dress that I had never worn before. Maybe I was the one that had changed. But nothing made me feel more special than the way that he looked at me. With my hair flowing down my shoulders, not held up in a bun like his ex-mate. He was seeing me now. It was all that I cared about. And now more than ever I felt like I should protect him because I didn¡¯t want to lose him. What was the feeling again, Love? I had always had bad oues with live bit with Kieran maybe this time, it would work because we had been there for each other long before we began to see ourselves. We have seen our imperfections and yet still find ourselves perfect. That was the kind of affection that I wanted.


    I see you, Kieran. I see you too. I smiled and grabbed the ss again.


    The night air shone with a cool brilliance; the moon cast its glow on the winding road back to the pce. The date had been wonderful, but I couldn¡¯t get a perfect word to describe it. Theughter we shared over a delicious meal, stolen nces beneath the twinkling city lights, and a conversation flowed with an ease that even surprised me as all that we needed to make our night. And when he asked if we should do it again, I didn¡¯t just want to say yes, I wanted to kiss him and then say yes. As we neared the outskirts of the city, the night became thick and dark. I had begun to feel the impact of the four sses of alcoholic red wine in my head. I just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep. Maybe in his arms. That would be a lot better.


    Suddenly, the car lurched forward, the tires screeching against the road. Kieran mmed on the brakes and the force threw me forward.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I gasped, gripping the dashboard as the car settled to a stop.


    Kieran¡¯s face which had been so calm all through the night suddenly held a bit of alertness.


    ¡°Stay in the car,¡± he grunted.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand. Where are you going to?¡±


    He unbuckled his seatbelt with a swiftness that rmed me.


    Before I could say another word, he was out of the car.


    ¡°Wait Kieran,¡± I tried to open the door of the car but I stopped for a bit as I sighted the dark silhouette against the moonlit road. My heart pounded so hard in my chest that I thought that it would actually stop. And then, I saw that this figure had the red eyes. Just like the one that I had seen in the bushes the other. Could it be what was there? At least, It showed that I wasn¡¯t insane that night.


    Ignoring the voice screaming to stay back at the back of my mind, I fumbled with my seatbelt.  The door clicked open, and I tumbled out of the car, my legs shaking beneath me.


    There, in the middle of the deserted road, stood a creature straight out of my childhood nightmares  a vampire.


    It was taller than Kieran, its frame cloaked in tattered ck robes.  Its face, pale and gaunt, was dominated by two razor-sharp fangs that gleamed ominously in the moonlight. The chilling absence of any reflection in its blood-red eyes made me gasp for breath. This wasn¡¯t a legend whispered around campfires; this was real. And it was terrifyingly up close.


    A growl ripped from the vampire¡¯s throat, snapping me out of my stunned silence.  It lunged towards Kieran, its inhuman speed catching me off guard.


    ¡°ra, get back to the car!¡± Kieran roared; his voice barely audible over the vampire¡¯s snarls.  He met the creature¡¯s attack head-on, his movements swift and deadly as he parried the vampire¡¯s blows with his hand.  But even Kieran seemed surprised by the creature¡¯s strength. There was no way I was going to just leave Kieran there to face such a creature. Kieran charged towards it. He was skilful and the many months of training had paid off. He grabbed it by the neck and snapped it off. The vampire fell on its face.


    ¡°Is it dead?¡± I made to go towards it.


    ¡°Stop. It¡¯s not dead yet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only unconscious and would be back up if I don¡¯t end it finally.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should just leave it here.¡±


    ¡°He would catch up to us before we even make it to the pce. They are fast. Really fast.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then what would kill it? There isn¡¯t no silver de here.¡±


    Kieran took a branch from an olive tree in the woods.


    ¡°But this would kill it,¡± he ran the wood into its chest, and with a loud groan, the vampire shrieked into dust. It was good that they didn¡¯t leave a body.

 CHAPTER 124: THE CURFEW

    The only thing bad about the night was how it ended. Every other thing was a sess and I wished that a vampire attack would not be top on Kieran¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one up close before. They¡¯re¡­ worse than the stories.¡±


    I looked down at my shaking hands and then at Kieran.


    ¡°They are,¡± he spat, his voice low and dangerous.  ¡°But vampires don¡¯t just attack for sport. They need something.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me, his expression grim. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Not quite sure,¡± he said. ¡°This attack¡­ it was just the beginning. They¡¯lle back, and they¡¯ll bring more.¡±


    I certainly didn¡¯t like the sound of that. For once, I thought that everything was finally back to normal. But now we get an attack from a vampire and Kieran is so sure that there would be more. We have fought werewolves, and humans with weapons but not creatures that have lived for thousands of years after our lives it didn¡¯t seem right. The ride back home was quiet. I knew that Kieran could be thinking about what next to do. And I just sat there hoping that the vampire¡¯s needs might not be what I was thinking because this time, Kieran might actually want to give me up. He might be strong to hold back one of them but what if they came in dozens, thousands, and millions? Kieran¡¯s men haven¡¯t still recovered from Ryan¡¯s attacks and now whatever this is. My mind drifted far and wide and whenever it got back to the car, I would see Kieran looking nkly into the road until we got back to the pce.


    Kieran reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone as we got to his chambers.


    ¡°What are you going to do about the attack? Are you going to tell the people about it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I thought about it but it¡¯s not going to be a good idea. I¡¯d only the scaring the people. You know they just recovered from food shortage.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d we defeated that,¡± I forced a smile, ¡°who do you want to call?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin everything now,¡± he said, dialing a number.  ¡°Alex,¡± he spoke into the phone. ¡°Set up a kingdom-wide curfew immediately. And get the Royal Guard on high alert. We have a vampire problem.¡±


    He ended the call and turned back to me, his gaze holding a warmth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ra,¡± he said.  ¡°We¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    His words offered littlefort, but that did not take away the way that already felt. Sometimes even when I tried to blink, I would see the face of the vampire in the dark. Like it was right there waiting for me. It didn¡¯t quite surprise me much because we were facing a threat unlike any I had ever encountered. But we weren¡¯t alone at least we had each other.


    Kieran and I had not said anything about the incident after that night. However, I knew that he made sure that Alex with the pce guards put strict measures about the curfew. For a while, we felt safe again although I missed going g around town with Kieran but Kieran delta that he needed to do something not just wait and hope for the vampire attack to be a coincidence. So, he thought of writing to the vampire King. An idea I wasn¡¯t really sure about. I felt like he would be reminding him about something but it was the only shot we had.


    Kieran sat hunched over the aged parchment, his brow furrowed in concentration as the pen scratched rhythmically against the surface. I perched on the edge of the armchair, biting on my lower lip. Apart from the rhythmic scratching of the pen on the paper, the entire space was quiet.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll understand?¡± I finally blurted out, unable to contain my worry any longer.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Kieran¡¯s head snapped up; his eyes boring into mine. For a heart-stopping moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something akin to anger in them. But then it was gone, reced by something else.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, ra,¡± he said, ¡°But it¡¯s the only chance we have.¡±


    He faced the paper and continued writing. I wanted to reach out andfort him, to whisper in his ears that everything would be fine. And then, he would turn to me with desires in his eyes just the same way that he had looked at me when we went on that date. But then, he felt far at the moment. Everything was not in ce. For him or me and so I just curled up in bed and forced my eyes to sleep.


    Sleep, when it finally came, was fitful and filled with nightmares. I dreamt of fangs and shadows, of the red eyes glowing in the darkness. I woke with a gasp as my heart pounded and Kieran was lying next to me.


    I didn¡¯t quite know it was morning yet until I felt the reflection of the sun on my face and then I opened my eyes. Kieran was already gone, but on the bedside tabley a single sheet of an envelope, the crimson seal of the Vampire King on the back.


    Looking at it alone made my stomach grumble. It could have been the custard I hadst night but the thought of what to see in inside the envelope was still an important factor. I couldn¡¯t tell why Kieran had left it on the bed but if he didn¡¯t want me to see it, there were many ces to hide it away from my reach. Maybe it was good news. I reached for the letter, I watched as my fingers trembled slightly but it didn¡¯t stop me. I opened the envelope as fast as I could before thoughts began to cloud my mind.  Just then, I saw the perfectly written script. With each passing word that I looked at; my fingers trembled even more.


    ¡°We will not rest,¡± the letter concluded, ¡°until we have her here with us. Consider this your final warning. War is imminent.¡±


    The letter slipped from my grasp to the floor and I stared nkly into the walls.


    So much for misunderstandings. So, it was because of me after all.


    The King was strong-willed about getting what he wanted, and he was willing to drag both our kingdoms into war to achieve it.


    Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I slumped back against the pillows feeling the frustration owing down on me.


    Not again. Not with the vampires or anyone else. For once, I deserved to be happy.


    There was no escape. I was the key to peace, but also the spark that could start up a war.

 CHAPTER 125: ANOTHER WAVE

    It had been a few days after I stumbled on the letter from the Vampire King or maybe Kieran really did want me to see it. With the curfew and the guards looking out for any threats from the vampires, everything returned to the way it used to be well, except for the fact that I barely saw Kieran. The day had started fine and I thought that maybe we should both take a break and walk in the garden. Perhaps, we would finally get to talk about our date before the attack. And I can finally get a hint of how he feels about me.


    For the first time in a while, I saw Kieran settled in his study not wanting to rush out like he had been doingtely.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I said softly, stepping into the room. ¡°You are here,¡± I said.


    He looked up at me and mumbled something that I didn¡¯t quite catch. I moved closer.


    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like to-¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He nced up; his expression was unreadable. ¡°ra, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have time for that today. I need to train the soldiers.¡±


    I raised my brows, ¡°Oh,¡± I mumbled, trying to mask the sting of his rejection. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    It had be a normal routine.


    The door clicked shut behind me as I left. I just couldn¡¯t sit there and watch him as I used to.  I retreated to my chambers. Our honeymoon months were finally up and so I opted for my chambers even if we still kept our outings sacred so that the people would not think otherwise. Buttely, there was no outing at all to be kept sacred.


    I needed to be with Kieran again. Every part of my body yearned to be with him. To stare at him as he would speak,ugh hard at his jokes that he didn¡¯t even think that they were funny. Maybe moving to my own chambers was a bad idea. But the feelings scared me. Was it love? Or I was just used to being around him. He was just not my King but also my friend and soul mate. We did everything together until now. It was different. And I hated it. I wanted to be the first person that he would see when he woke up every morning and not those soldiers.


    Oh ra, keep it together. You are not in love. It¡¯s just boredom.


    The next morning, as soon as I left the bed, I strolled to Kieran¡¯s chambers. I found him adjusting the cuffs of a white shirt. I was hopeful. Maybe the day would be different.


    Perhaps a change of scenery would do him good.


    ¡°Kieran, you look¡­ sharp. Are you going somewhere special?¡±


    He gave me a curt nod. ¡°Breakfast with the troops. Morale needs a boost.¡±


    My smile faltered. ¡°Breakfast? But I thought-¡±


    ¡°ra,¡± he interrupted gently. ¡°A lot is going on. The King won¡¯t back down, and with Ryan¡¯s attack, the soldiers are¡­ fragile.¡±


    Something boiled in me.


    ¡°Fragile?¡± I snapped. ¡°What about me, Kieran? Don¡¯t you ever think about me?¡±


    He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. ¡°Of course, I do. But right now, my kingdom needs me.¡±


    ¡°And what about what we need?¡± I yelled; my voice shook with a tremor I couldn¡¯t control. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get tired of pretending? Or who do you want the people to think that we are faking our union?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, ra!¡± he roared. ¡°This is about protecting my people! And you! I don¡¯t want to give you up, but the King-¡±


    ¡°King?¡± I shrieked, cutting him off. ¡°Is that all you ever think about? The King wants war! Maybe we should just give him what he wants and be done with it!¡±


    And just as the words left my lips, I wished that I hadn¡¯t said it.


    I should be patient. Patience they say, is a virtue. But there I was.


    Kieran said nothing, instead, he stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with the silence and the echo of my outburst.


    My eyes felt hot and tears flowed freely down my cheek.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    I snatched amp from the study table, hurling it across the room. It shattered against the far wall.


    Damn it. I hate this.


    I rushed towards the shatteredmp trying to put it in ce but there was bring it back. I sank to the floor feeling the weight of my words. My throat tightened and my eyes felt hotter. I couldn¡¯t control the tears this time. Even with the fact that I knew what was going on, I hadshed out at Kieran. He was fighting a war on two fronts, and I, in my selfishness, had only added to his misery.


    It had been a while since I had trained. Sometimes, it kept me afloat. I headed down to the training hall as soon as I was done recing the brokenmp.


    The rhythmic ng of my sword against the practice dummy echoed through the training hall. Sweat beaded on my forehead, stinging my eyes, but I barely noticed. Every swing, every parry, was a release of the pent-up frustration that had been boiling within me since my fight with Kieran.


    Suddenly, I felt a prickling sensation crawling across the back of my neck. I froze as I was about the hit the dummy again. I turned and felt a movement at the entrance of the training hall. Someone was watching me. My heart pounded. Thest time I had been watched was when Patricia was still. And then, I was just a weakling. But not anymore.


    I hurried towards the door and peeked scanning the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had been watching me. I could hear footsteps and so I followed into the hallway. Going through a corner, that¡¯s when I saw him. Kieran. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.


    ¡°Kieran?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He uncrossed his arms and straightened up. ¡°Just making sure you were alright,¡± he mumbled, avoiding my gaze.


    My chest tightened. Was he worried about me? After everything that had happened between us?


    ¡°I can handle myself, Kieran,¡± I said, my voice softer this time.


    He finally looked at me, ¡°I know you can,¡± he said, his voice rough. ¡°But after what we said to each other¡­ I haven¡¯t exactly been myself.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I,¡± I whispered, the words catching in my throat.


    I tried to hide the smile growing on my lips. He took a step towards me, and I met him halfway.


    Then, without a word, he closed the distance between us. His lips met mine in a kiss.


    We stumbled backward, I loved that his hands roamed, exploring every heated inch of my exposed skin under my skirt. I knew that this was actually happening after I ripped his buttons open and tossed his shirt on the floor.


    By the time we reached the door of my chamber, we were both breathless. Kieran swept me up in his arms and carried me inside, with a groan. As soon as we got in, he turned me against the door and held my skirt. I could feel his heated breath against my neck as he leaned closely. It still felt like a dream but I knew that he wanted me as much as I did. I felt his hardness behind me as he went through jamming me from behind. He held my thighs firmly against the door with his leg and pinned me to it so that I was left at his mercy. I shut my eyes basking in the intensity of his thrust as moans escaped our lips. His warm breath caressed my ears as he mumbled words. My breaths hitched every time he went in a faster rhythm. I held his thigh firmly, as he stroked from behind.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I gasped.


    I didn¡¯t want it to end. As if he read my mind, he held my arms and I sumbed to his touch as he turned me around. I saw his eyes, he wanted me. Sweat trickled down his skin and he grabbed my thighs in his arm. The bunk creaked as Inded on my back on the bed. We stumbled on the dress that was left on my body and in a second, I was all bare, opened for him. I moved my eyes with his as he looked at my body. I wanted him so bad that I grabbed his arm. Kieran nted kisses from my lips down to my neck. I could smell his hair shampoo. My body jiggled as his lips rested on my belly. My thighs dripped with wetness as he moved down between them. This time, my body shivered. I felt his tongue taking g in my wetness. I shut my eyes tightening my lips. I could scream. I clutched his hair as he stayed in between my legs.


    ¡°Fuck me, please,¡± I whispered.


    Kieran dived my lips and held my thighs up. He stroked slowly and I gasped. I heard my voice out loud. I couldn¡¯t hold in the way that he made me feel.


    At that point, I could tell him all that I felt about him. The way his eyes roving around my body makes me feel. And how I had longed for his touch, his kiss, and now him inside of me. It was a feeling that I couldn¡¯t quite describe. We¡¯ve had sex but this was different. Perhaps we were actually making love.

 CHAPTER 126: WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?

    We sat at opposite ends of the breakfast table, avoiding eye contact the next morning.


    ¡°This is all ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± I smiled.


    Without facing up, I took up the fork and began digging into the pancake. Kieran did the same. We ate quietly with the silverware against the ceramic dishes as the only sound in the diner. I looked up and caught his eyes on me.


    Shit.


    I looked away and reached out for the ss just beside the te.


    Maybe I should say something.


    But then, what would I say?


    Did we have sex?


    Yes.


    Did I enjoy it?


    Very much.


    But why then did it feel like a taboo to be intimate with my mate? Maybe it was Kieran.  I had checked myself and I was fine with it. The voice in my head grew loud. I couldn¡¯t hear myself chew or the clings of our dishes. There were just voices increasing every second that I tried to shove them away. I needed to speak, to say something to wave off the tension. My throat suddenly felt clogged and the chunk of chewed-up pancake couldn¡¯t pass, I began to choke and so I took arge gulp of water.


    Clearly, Kieran didn¡¯t notice that because he was too focused on his pancakes. Or maybe he was buried in his thoughts.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The ache in my heart and pounding in my chest. I didn¡¯t know what pained me more; the fact that we both pretended that something as beautiful as what had happened between us didn¡¯t happen or that Kieran didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I muttered and pushed myself away from the table making my way towards my chamber.


    I thought not seeing his face would make it a lot easier but then, I craved his presence. I had managed to stay in my room for a few hours but then, I needed to see him.


    I made my way to the soldier¡¯s training ground. I could hear the ng from the steel even before I got to the doorway, there I stood and watched. Scanning every corner for Kieran. He wasn¡¯t so hard to find. Alex stood beside him.


    A lump formed in my throat as I caught Kieran¡¯s eye. I waved for a second. He nodded in return, his gaze lingering on me for a bit before turning back to his soldiers.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    What the fuck? He couldn¡¯t evene over.


    I just couldn¡¯t bear it; I hade to talk to him not just receiving a nod. I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. I marched towards them, my steps echoing on the polished stone floor.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out.


    ¡°ra, what are you doing?¡± He pulled me outside.


    ¡°Just checking in, to see how things are going.¡±


    He nced at me, ¡°Everything¡¯s under control, ra. Thanks for your concern.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little dismissive?¡± I snapped.


    He exhaled, ¡°I¡¯m quite busy here ra. It¡¯s not my intention to dismiss you. Just go I¡¯ll be with you shortly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for justing here unannounced but I¡¯ve just been a little bored with you not being around.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s jaw clenched, ¡°If you¡¯re bored, ra, find something to upy your time.¡±


    His words felt like a p on my face. If I had stayed a bit longer maybe he would have seen the tears running down my cheek. But I didn¡¯t want that. Without a word, I turned and stormed out of the training hall.


    I didn¡¯t know where my feet were taking me, but it didn¡¯t matter. I just needed to put some distance between Kieran and me.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He tried to hold me but I moved away.


    ¡°Leave me alone Kieran and stop following me.¡±


    ¡°Come on ra, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice behind me so I increased my pace and walked into a much-secluded corner hoping he would give up and just go back.


    ¡°Hey,e on. Can you just stop walking,¡± he pulled my arm and pinned me to the wall.


    I froze as he leaned close, it was like I could hear his heartbeat against my body. At that moment, time stopped.


    Why does he have to make me want him so bad?


    ¡°ra, I-¡± He tried to speak.


    He took a step towards me, but I didn¡¯t move. The hurt was still raw but I didn¡¯t look away. Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The world shrunk to just the two of us, two souls locked in a silent battle of feelings. Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, we lurched towards each other. Our lips met in a kiss that was fierce and desperate.


    I sucked on his supple lips, his soft lips brushing against mine was beyond how I had imagined it.


    Why does being with him always feel this way?


    It was almost like I couldn¡¯t resist him. He took his hands down to my waist and lifted my skirt. At that moment, I was grateful that I didn¡¯t have any panties on. I felt the wetness against my thighs as his hands took up my dress. I hustled to unbuckle his belt and still keep his lips on mine. Then he grabbed my arms and leaned closer. With his arms, he held my leg slightly above and drove his hardness between my already parted thighs. My eyes went all in as I felt him in me. So firm and at a steady pace. I tried to hold in my moans but he wasn¡¯t making that easy for me. How can he be two things at once?¡±


    He held my chin so I looked him directly in his eyes. This was what I longed for. The way he looked at me hardened my nipples. I wanted his lips on them but he had better ns for where his lips would be as he went underneath my things brushing his tongue all over. I groaned and clutched to the wall.


    Every bit of me craved for him even more. He held me again as he banged faster. I jammed against the wall moving with his rhythm. My muscles clenched as he increased. I saw the veins around his neck, I knew he was reaching there too.


    Fuck, this is good.


    ¡°Oh Kieran,¡± I whimpered. Then he pulled out, we held each other letting out a loud gasp.     We found it hard to keep our hands away from each other as the days went on. I knew I was getting attached and he was too. It was good. Everything was finally bnced. The smiles, the stolen nces, moments of intimacy it was real. We had finally found what works for us.


    The truth, however, was the constant ache in my chest, a yearning I couldn¡¯t ignore. But admitting to love, was terrifying. I just couldn¡¯t.


    The day just like every other day, had started well. Although, I had not seen Kieran for two days. That was enough space and I knew he would be expecting me. I decided to bake a pie. The sweet smell of cinnamon filled the chamber by the time I brought it down for the kitchen. The n was simple. First, bake something nice then go down to the training ground and bring him here.


    With the pie cooling on the windowsill, I set off for the training grounds.


    I stood by the doorway as usual. Catching Kieran¡¯s eye, I offered him a small, hesitant smile. And he smiled back.


    A good sign.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out, ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be done?¡±


    He nced at me, ¡°Soon,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, forcing a brightness into my voice that I didn¡¯t feel. ¡°I have a surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡± His brows rose.


    ¡°Just wait and see,¡± I said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°It¡¯ll be worth the wait, I promise.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±


    As I turned to leave, a thought came to mind. I hesitated, then stopped by the doorway, about to call out to Kieran.


    But then, I heard Alex¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Finally admitting you¡¯re in love with her, Kieran? ¡°Letting go of the past is a good thing, you know.¡±


    Kieran scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to admit, Alex. I don¡¯t have feelings for her.¡±


    What the fuck?


    The air whooshed out of my lungs, leaving me feeling lightheaded and dizzy.


    It all crumbled around me. The truthid bare by Alex¡¯s careless words. It was hard to swallow.


    Without a word, I spun on my heel and stormed back towards my chamber, tears stinging my eyes. As soon as I reached my room, I flung the door open and threw the pie into the trashcan.


    ¡°So much for a kind gesture,¡± I mumbled folding my arms.


    A knock on the door startled me after a few minutes. I wiped my tears hastily forcing myself to take a deep breath before calling out, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door creaked open. It was Kieran.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I mumbled looking away.


    He tried to hold me but I moved away from him.


    Such hypocrite.


    Heposed and stood beside me.


    ¡°ra, you asked me to-¡±


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± I interrupted, ¡°Just a stupid prank. You can leave.¡±


    His gaze narrowed, searching my face. ¡°A prank? ra-¡±


    ¡°I said leave!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Hey, okay fine. I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    He turned and left, the click of the door echoing in the heavy silence.


    Alone in my chamber, I sank into the bed. Tears streamed down my face. Had I thrown away any chance we had, all because of my pride? Or was Kieran truly incapable of admitting his feelings, even to himself?

 CHAPTER 127: IT’S A NO

    The constant knock on the door pulled me out of my nap. Even before going closer to it, I knew who it was. But this time, what I wanted was clear, I couldn¡¯t keep up with him constantly manipting me every time. I had thought about telling him about what I had heard but then to what extent? He would simply find words to push it all aside. Or maybe I was being selfish to have such thoughts or misread his feelings towards me. After all, it had always been just a fling. Why did I expect it to change now? I heard the knock again and my chest tightened. A part of me still hoped that I had heard wrongly even if his words had been clear.


    With a deep breath, Iposed myself. Squaring my shoulders, I marched towards the door and flung it open.


    Kieran stood there, his expression was a mixture of concern and something else I couldn¡¯t decipher. He looked hopeful, almost eager, and that only fueled my anger.


    ¡°ra,¡± he said, his voice warm. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me for breakfast?¡±


    He can¡¯t be serious.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I replied, ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry.¡±


    That was a lie but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to share a meal with him, not yet. Not when every stolen nce or every word that we would share would be a reminder of the truth I desperately wanted to deny.


    His smile faltered, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright, ra?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am,¡± I said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    He studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. But I held his gaze, refusing to give anything away.


    Finally, with a sigh, he stepped back. ¡°Alright then. If, you¡¯re sure.¡±


    He turned to leave; his broad shoulders slumped. I wanted to call him back but then, I held firm until the door clicked shut behind him.


    It wasn¡¯t as easy as I thought, to turn him down but I had done it and it felt good. I just needed to wait a few minutes until he was done with his meal before having mine. If that was what it took to stay away from him, then I was up for it.


    In the evening, I was locked in my room. I noticed the shadow across the doorway of my chamber. I pulled the door open to find Kieran standing there. He had a smile across his lips, so beautiful but I looked away. I wasn¡¯t falling for that.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Come on, I came to see you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, what do you want?¡±


    His brow furrowed. He was beginning to get the picture.


    ¡°ra? I need to discuss the patrol routes for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, Kieran,¡± I said, ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡±


    The words were barely out of my mouth before I regretted them. His jaw clenched.


    ¡°Busy? Busy doing what, ra?¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°Just¡­ things,¡± I mumbled, avoiding his eyes.


    ¡°Things?¡± he repeated, ¡°Since when do just do ¡®things¡¯?¡± He asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business Kieran.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You heard me right.¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you, ra? Why are you acting this way towards me?¡±


    I wish he knew.


    ¡°Acting what way? I was busy before you came. Like you would always tell me to get busy. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. If you would excuse me,¡± I said and closed the door before he would say another word.


    I had flipped again Kieran was making me be what I was not. Everything I saw him, my heart flipped and then I would remember his words to Alex and it would be a bad memory triggering me into pushing him away. It was hard, doing the direct opposite of what you intend on doing. With Kieran, it was always hard but I had no other way to show him how pissed I was. Seeing the frustration on his face made it seem fair sometimes and when I would finally think of letting it go, I just won¡¯t.


    I leaned on the door for a few minutes long, I knew he didn¡¯t just leave immediately, he always liked to linger around maybe hoping that I would have a change of heart and invite him to like I used to. But today, it was different. I finally gathered the courage to leave the door and flung my weary self on the bed shutting my eyes so that the sleep with take me away to a ce where my mind would no longer function but then, it just didn¡¯t work.


    I had expected Kieran toe back maybe an hourter but he seemed to get the picture now, that I needed my space and didn¡¯t show up. At first, the thought of him letting me boiled in me butter on, I knew he had much respect for me to actually listen to me. As the sky darkened, I felt his absence again. On times like this, I would hop to his chambers and sit beside him in his study. Listen to him speak and watch him flip through those ancient scrolls, I wonder what he found enticing in them. He always had something to talk about.


    There, I was doing it again, thinking about him in a good way, I grabbed the pillow and pressed it against my ear forcing my eyes closed. By the time I opened them again, it was morning.


    I had made it through the night.


    The constant knock on my chamber door was like a physical manifestation of the pain within me. With a deep breath, I forced myself to my feet, the anger burning in my gut.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I snapped, flinging the door open to reveal Kieran standing there. His brows were knitted and he ced one hand on the wall. He didn¡¯t have his usual morning smile and I didn¡¯t seem to care.


    I went back in as soon as I opened the door like I didn¡¯t give a hoot about his presence. Maybe I didn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯te the previous night so why had hee now?


    Even after I had offered him un, Kieran did not leave the door. I turned and watched him, what drama was he putting up now?


    ¡°Are you going toe in or should I shut the door?¡± I asked folding my arms.


    He said nothing and slowly walked in.


    ¡°You can have a seat, and then spill the reason for the early morning visit,¡± I said facing the closet ignoring the look on his face. I knew what his visit was about, it was clear but I couldn¡¯t exactly tell was his approach towards it was. It wasn¡¯t quite what I was expecting but he was here that was all that mattered.


    ¡°ra, we need to talk about your recent behavior.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°My behavior?¡±


    I sure wasn¡¯t expecting that.


    ¡°You have changed.¡±


    ¡°Well, you changed me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should discuss your behavior first, Kieran. Especially what I overheard the other day.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He still had no idea.


    I faced him.


    The anger in his eyes mirrored my own.


    ¡°You have no idea, do you?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°That day with the soldiers and Alex? What you said about me?¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°You didn¡¯t leave immediately that day right? I see.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°That was a private conversation, taken out of context, ra. Don¡¯t be a big baby.¡±


    ¡°Out of context?¡± I repeated, my voice had begun to rise. I didn¡¯t like that it did and I couldn¡¯t stop it either. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have feelings for me? Then why the passionate kisses, the stolen moments? Were they all a lie too?¡±


    Kieran chuckled, ¡°This isn¡¯t about feelings, ra! This is about duty! About protecting this kingdom from the likes of-¡±


    ¡°The likes of me?¡± I shrieked, cutting him off. ¡°Is that what you truly think? That I¡¯m some kind of monster waiting to happen?¡±


    ¡°I never said that!¡±


    ¡°But you think it, don¡¯t you?¡± Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. ¡°Just like everyone else. A human, a danger to your precious kingdom.¡±


    The look of pain that cane across his face was almost enough to break me. But the anger, the hurt, it was a dam overflowing, and there was no stopping the flow of emotions.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, Kieran,¡± I said, my voice had be thick with unshed tears. I could barely even hear myself. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t belong here. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave? ra, you are taking this on a different level you have to calm down. I¡¯m sorry that you heard what you heard bute on.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Kieran, I can¡¯t be around you right now. I should have left when I had the chance.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± He tried to grab me but I shoved just hands away.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Before he could say another word, I stormed past him, the hate that clouded my eyes pushed me forward. I didn¡¯t care where I was going, as long as it was away from him, away from everything that he had said to me. How dare he? He had no right to make me feel the way that he always made me feel when we fought. His feelings were had to read, some days they seemed different than the others. Maybe, I should stop trying to read him. It only led me to a path of destruction whenever I tried to.

 CHAPTER 128: AMBUSHED

    The crisp air ran through my skin cooling me off from the weight that I had once carried. That was where I needed to be outside under the sky.


    The cobblestone streets of the pce grounds blurred beneath my feet; the night air ran free at my tear-streaked cheeks. My mind was a mess of thoughts and emotions, the hurt had gradually reduced to a dull ache in my chest.


    I stood at an angle watching the gate until a guard standing by the gate passed by. Even if we were not on good terms, I knew what Kieran was capable of and what he was up against, and letting her step out of the pce without proper supervision and approval from him, was not top on that list. As soon as the coast bes clear, I sneak my way out of the gate into the dark street. At first, I ran, so fast as my leg could carry me to avoid the guards catching up to me just in case, they had seen me. But when I stopped and looked back, there was no one. For the first time in a while, I felt free again.


    I didn¡¯t feel the eyes that watched me through the window blinders or hear whispers about a certain queen. It was just me against the world. But then, after a few miles ahead the crisp air that once served as a cooling mechanism from the fight nibbled my skin. I had been so furious that the thought of carrying a coat along somehow escaped my mind. I knew that eventually, I would need to turn back and return to Kieran but not as soon as I had thought. I felt weird as I got to a part of the road. Most of the street lights had suddenly gone off I could see the smoke from my breath. If nothing killed me out here, the cold certainly will. I turned sharply to the ruffles I heard beside me and then a mouse ran out. But something still felt wrong. I turned around but could find no one. I hadn¡¯t been out much so I didn¡¯t know how often the streets were empty. But I knew in my gut that something wasn¡¯t right. I had faced the direction from which I hade from, it was time to go back.


    I didn¡¯t run, but only walked, faster than my legs could carry. As I turned towards my side, I could have sworn that I had seen a figure walking in my direction. But I didn¡¯t stop to check. Just then, it dawned on me about the curfew and other protective measure that Kieran had put in ce to protect the people but my stubbornness and anger had pushed me out in the dark. Probably in the midst of the enemies and I was being followed.


    This isn¡¯t good.


    My breath hitched h as I tried to keep it rubbing my palms against my skin. This wasn¡¯t what I had bargained for when I sneaked out of the pce. I just wanted a moment of peace and now all I good get were goose bumps filling my arms. As soon as I got to a corner just close to the pce gate, I mmed into a solid wall of muscle. Stumbling back, I looked up to find myself surrounded by ck figures in the shadows. I couldn¡¯t quite pick a face as their faces were covered in darkness.


    I heard a chuckle behind my ear and jumped tracing my steps backward.


    ¡°We finally found you. All alone in the dark. Just the way we wanted.¡±


    Had someone nned this?


    I was there in the right ce at the right time waiting to be devoured. I turned to find them closer now. The familiar red eyes and fangs all covered up in their dark coats. It was clear to me why the cold was intense now.


    These weren¡¯t soldiers, these weren¡¯t Kieran¡¯s men. These¡­ these were vampires.


    My heart pounded they closed in on me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± tears fell down my chin.


    But instead, theyughed and grunted.


    ¡°All-powerful and mighty chosen one, now so helpless. I warned Kieran to hand you over to me but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are the King,¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too. I have waited a thousand years for this,¡± he snorted.


    The anger, and the hurt that once filled my mind all evaporated, reced by a bone-deep terror that threatened to consume me whole.


    At that moment, between the fading echoes of my argument with Kieran and the terrifying reality before me, I knew I had made a terrible mistake.


    I felt the terror in my veins. My mind screamed at me to run, but my feet were rooted to the spot. One of the vampires lunged, the King perhaps, his movements were a blur of unnatural speed. That that point, I felt the surge of adrenaline through me, snapping me out of my paralysis.


    Just immediately, I dodged the sharp ws that swiped at my face, the strong stench of decay entering my nostrils which gave me a nauseating feeling. Everything happened so fast not giving me enough time to think. Panic slowly wed to the edges of my mind, but I forced it down. I needed to fight. I had to or I would die. Every inch of me felt desperate to get free from those creatures.


    I snatched a loose stone from the ground and swung it towards the vampire that came close with all my might, it hit the vampire¡¯s jaw making a loud crack sound. He stumbled back making a loud snarl that ripped from his throat. But before I could do something else to help myself, another vampire attacked from the side.


    This one was faster, stronger. He grabbed my arm, his grip was so firm that it nearly ripped off my flesh. I groaned as the painnced through me when his long nails dug into my flesh. I kicked out, hitting his shin with a strong crunch. He roared in pain, loosening his hold on my arm for a bit. But that was only the beginning.


    I ripped my arm free and brought my knee up, mming it into his groin. He doubled over, gasping for breath. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed the dagger strapped to my thigh and plunged it into his back. Constant training with Kieran had taught me that.


    He grunted as he crumpled to the ground, but then, he rose again, taking the dagger off his back and dumping it on the floor. As he faced me, his face held much determination to end me that he had earlier been. I felt the chills down my spine as I realized that it was only the beginning. Even if I managed to take down maybe one or two there were more vampires  too many.


    ¡°Is that all that you¡¯ve got?¡± The King asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just want to go back to the pce.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing out here in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Thinking about it right now, I don¡¯t even know what I am doing out here. I¡¯m so sorry if I caused you any harm,¡± I turned to the vampire that I had earlier stabbed.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand what is going on here.¡±


    Of course, I did understand but ying dumb sometimes always worked and I hoped so much that it would work this time. The look on the faces of the vampires is always said. Whatever they hade out to do, they were certain that they were going to get it done before anyone realized.


    ¡°Please,¡± I could hear the quiver in my voice. At that point, I wished so much to be swallowed into the earth. Anywhere else was a better ce than where I stood.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

 CHAPTER 129: THE VAMPIRE KING

    At moments like this, I thought about Kieran. He had always been my saviour and I needed him now more than ever. Just then, a thought came to mind, more like a memory. Nikkei, the witch who had helped me in understanding my powers and the mating process had mentioned a kind of connection that Kieran and I would have when the mating process was done. If she was right, then maybe there was still a chance of getting out of here alive. But I needed to act fast because the vampires were already losing their patience. I could see it in their glowing eyes.


    ¡°Oh, dear chosen one, I hate that this would have to end. For a minute there, I was having fun. You are nothing like we thought. But too bad we would have to end you. Grab her.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I moved backward.


    They circled me, their eyes glowing with hunger and whatever desire they wished to fulfill but killing me.


    My breath came in ragged gasps.


    ¡°Please, please. You don¡¯t have to do this. We can work this out. I can speak to Kieran to work something out with you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say that they would listen to. Every word felt important. I was outnumbered, outmatched, and utterly alone.


    Except¡­ I wasn¡¯t. I shut my eyes as a desperate plea ripped through my mind, a silent cry for help. Kieran. The name echoed in the deepest part of my consciousness.


    Would he hear me? Would he understand? It was like a gamble. It was either this or death. Anyway, I was going to die. But it was my only hope. I still kept my eyes shut. Just then, I heard movements on the edge of my vision which caught my attention. One of the vampires, taller and broader than the others, came from the shadows. He held himself with arrogance, his eyes fixed on me.


    This was the King. I was wrong before.


    He moved towards me with so much pride. Maybe this was who they were waiting for before finally killing me off. The other vampires parted away before him.


    ¡°A feisty little human,¡± he drawled, his voice a silken rasp that sickened me. ¡°But your struggle is futile. You belong to me now.¡±


    I snarled, ¡°Never.¡±


    He threw back his head andughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the night. Before I could react, he lunged. He was faster than the others, his movement was just a big blur.


    I barely managed to dodge his ws only feeling the wind whistling past my ear. He spun around stillughing out loud. This was a game to him, a cruel entertainment.


    It pissed me even more that he would think this was a joke. I wouldn¡¯t be his ything. Iunched myself at him, not minding how much power he had.


    He caught me easily. His one hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing with so much strength. I choked feeling the air being squeezed out of my lungs, my eyes shutting slowly as life was being seeped from me. My struggles were feeble and pathetic.


    Just as my breath began to hitch darkness consumed me. I heard a sound a distant war cry, rising far ahead. The King stopped, shifting his gaze towards where the sound wasing from.


    ¡°What is that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I think the werewolves areing,¡± one of the vampires said.


    ¡°What?¡± The vampire let go of my neck, dumping me on the ground. I held my throat coughing as I looked in front hoping to see. It was Kieran. He had heard my plea.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± the King cursed it sounded like a low growl ripping from his throat. Then as if realizing it again, he reached out for me.


    ¡°You did this right?¡±


    Before I could respond, he tightened his grip on my throat. He released his fangs as he moved closer to my exposed neck.


    ¡°You will pay for this,¡± he hissed.


    I groaned feeling the fangs on my skin. It was a pain I had never felt before. Then he looked at me revealing his ws. I shut my eyes waiting for the final blow. But before he could deliver the final blow, a figure came from the darkness, so swift and strong. Kieran.


    His eyes zed with a fire I had never seen before. He moved with a speed swaying his ws in the moonlight.


    The King snarled, his surprise giving Kieran the upper hand. Just then, the Vampire King brings out a sword and so does Kieran. It was a battle of life and death. Their des shed, sparks erupting as the metals met. The ng of steel echoed through the night. But Kieran didn¡¯te alone, the growing roar of the approaching army increased.


    Kieran¡¯s soldiers flooded the street, swaying their swords and ws. The vampires caught off guard, fought back. The street became a battlefield and I wasn¡¯t left out. I picked up a sword and fought beside Kieran just the way we had practiced. The street was lit by the dying gasps of the Vampires and the eerie glow of the moon. I could hear the screams and snarls ripping through the night air.


    I watched, my vision blurring at the edges, as Kieran fought with a fury. My every move was evidence of the months of training. The King and the rest of the vampires, however, were fearful opponents. The King¡¯s movements were surprisingly quick despite his size, and his attacks wereced with nothing but cruelty.


    Just as Kierannded a blow that sent the King staggering back, a searing pain ripped through my arm. One of the vampires hade at me. I screamed.


    Kieran turned around and I watched as his eyes widened in horror just as he saw my predicament. In that split second, the King seized his opportunity.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I cried out but it was toote. With a snarl, he lunged at me.


    I tried to dodge, but my body was already failing me. The world spun, and I crumpled to the ground, the rough ground biting into my skin. The King was upon me before I could react, with his fangs out.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    At that point terror gripped me, but before he could deliver another blow, I heard a roar which shook the very ground beneath our feet. Kieran let out a cry of rage, a sound that echoed with the power I had never witnessed before. He moved with an unnatural speed.


    His de went through the air andnded on the King¡¯s shoulder. The King roared in pain. He stumbled back, clutching his wound.


    But it was toote. The tide of the battle had turned. Kieran¡¯s soldiers, fueled by their king¡¯s rage and their own desperate need to protect their kingdom, fought hard. The vampires were outnumbered and disconnected from their king and began to fall.


    I had not expected my night to go the way it did. All I wanted was a time to be alone but it was clear that I could never have that.? I watched as it began a bloody scene. The vampires scattered into ck dust as soon as a silver sword went through their chests. My vision was already fading in and out, as Kieran moved through the battlefield like a storm, his presence was soothing.


    Then I felt the paining from my neck, a cold touch that spread like fire through my veins. The King had sunk his fangs into my flesh again. I screamed, so hard and loud, as I felt like being drawn out from me.


    Everything went hazy. I felt myself slipping away, the world dissolving into swirling colors. Thest thing I saw was Kieran, he was horrified as he turned towards me, a scream ripped from his throat. But I couldn¡¯t hear him anymore. Neither could I hear the swords of the soldiers and the vampires. It all went numb.


    Then, darkness.

 CHAPTER 130: A BITE

    I found myself in a void of light and muffled sound. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale only reminded me of what had happened to me.


    Through the haze, I heard a voice.


    ¡°ra! No!¡±


    Kieran. My heart lurched at the sound of his voice. It was a lifeline, like a fragile thread that linked me to the world of the living.


    Groaning, I tried to open my eyes, but my lid felt glued shut. I panicked in my consciousness. Was it over? Was I¡­ dead?


    Then, I felt a warm gentle hand brushing against my cheek. ¡°ra, stay with me,¡± Kieran pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare close your eyes.¡±


    The urgency in his voice kept me on.? I pried my eyes open, the harsh re of torches rested on my eyes. I groaned at the pain going through my head. Kieran¡¯s face was masked with worry and something deeper I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I said my voice barely above a whisper. My throat felt raw. It was tightened.


    He smiled. ¡°ra,¡± he breathed, ¡°Thank goodness. You¡¯re alive.¡±


    He cradled my head gently; his touch was warm andfortable in the cold. I tried to move, to sit up, but I felt dizziness washing over me, forcing me back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, you¡¯re hurt,¡± Kieran said.


    Hurt. The word echoed within me, which reminded me of the vampire king¡¯s attack. My hand went to my neck, feeling the tender flesh and raw pain radiating from the bite wound.


    Fear gripped me.


    Was I turning? Was I bing one of those¡­ things?


    Kieran seemed to sense my fear. ¡°It¡¯s alright, love,¡± he murmured, squeezing my hand. ¡°The healers are on their way. They¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    Love. The word hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. Had Kieran called me love? Or was it the heat of the moment, the relief at seeing me alive?


    My mind was filled with questions, but when I tried to think, it only intensified the throbbing pain in my head. My eyelids drooped, the exhaustion finally overwhelming me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep,¡± Kieran pleaded. ¡°Stay with me, ra. Please.¡±


    But the pull of sleep was too strong. Thest thing I heard was the murmur of his voice before I was finally lost in the darkness that imed me once more.


    The air smelled of blood and the acrid scent of burnt flesh. Groaning, I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy. A dull throbbing continued in my head; it wasn¡¯t easy to take the memory of the brutal attack off my mind.


    A blurry figure came beside me.


    ¡°ra?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice, gruff with worry, cut through the thoughts that clouded my mind.


    I tried to speak, but my throat felt raw and scraped. He must have understood my unspoken plea because he brought a cool cup to my lips, helping me take a small sip of water.


    ¡°Easy there,¡± he murmured, his touch was gentle as he cradled my head. ¡°The doctors are working on you. You¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Doctor? When did we get to the hospital?


    But that wasn¡¯t the issue. Kieran¡¯s words did not sound certain. Was I alright? Or was he just trying to reassure himself?


    The question died on my lips as exhaustion dragged me back into sleep.


    The next time I woke, the sterile white walls of the hospital greeted my blurry vision. The rhythmic beeping of a nearby machine filled the room. I was indeed in a fragile state. My body felt heavy, a dull ache radiating from every limb.


    A movement by the window caught my attention. Kieran sat there, his head buried in his hands, his broad shoulders slumped. The sight of him, so vulnerable, so unlike the warrior I knew, made me worry more.


    As if sensing my gaze, he lifted his head, his eyes searching mine.


    ¡°ra,¡± he breathed, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I tried to speak, but my throat felt parched. He seemed to understand, his lips curving into a small, tired smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about talking,¡± he said, his voice was gentle. ¡°Just rest. You need your strength.¡±


    I managed a smile. We said nothing to each other. The room felt quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the machine. My mind, sluggish but slowly awakening, drifted back to the battle, to the pain of the vampire king¡¯s bite.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± I croaked.


    Kieran¡¯s jaw clenched, his eyes hardening with a cold gaze I had never seen before. ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± he said, ¡°But not for long. He¡¯ll be executed at sunrise.¡±


    Even the thought of him, the monster who had inflicted this pain on me, filled me with dread.


    ¡°ra,¡± Kieran said, his voice softer now. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know.¡±


    He hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. ¡°While you were unconscious¡­ I¡­¡±


    He trailed off, his eyes searching mine. My heart lurched, trapping in my chest. What was he trying to say?


    ¡°I tortured him,¡± he said finally, ¡°Every ounce of pain he inflicted on you, I made him pay tenfold.¡±


    The raw emotion in his voice, and the fierce possessiveness in his eyes, made me a bit


    It wasn¡¯t just anger, it was something deeper, something I couldn¡¯t quite define.


    ¡°But why?¡± I asked.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Because he hurt you, ra. Because the thought of you¡­ of losing you¡­¡±


    He stopped again. Then, in a voice so quiet I almost missed it, he finished, ¡°Because I love you.¡±


    I froze.


    Love? From Kieran?? I could not believe that.? I stared at him, speechless, my mind spinning from the confession.


    Before I could respond, a sound from the doorway drew our attention. It was Alex with a grim expression on his face, who rushed towards Kieran.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, his voice urgent. ¡°The prisoner¡­ he¡¯s requesting an audience.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Tell him I have nothing to say to him.¡±


    ¡°He ims it¡¯s about the girl,¡± Alex persisted. ¡°About you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kieran hesitated, he looked at me for a moment. But I said nothing.


    Finally, with a sigh, he stood up. ¡°Leave us,¡± he said to Alex.


    He bowed and hurried out of the room, leaving us alone again.


    Kieran paced the room, his jaw clenched, frustration radiating from him. I watched him and the thought of what he had said did not leave my mind. It should have felt different from the way that it felt. Like a confirmation of the feelings, I harbored deep down. Instead, it felt like a burden, perhaps anotheryer of worry amidst the growing fear for my fate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. He stopped pacing and turned to me. ¡°Don¡¯t see him.¡±


    ¡°He might have information about the bite,¡± Kieran argued, ¡°Information that could save you.¡±


    The word ¡°save¡± sent a jolt through me. Was there even a way to save me? The vampire king¡¯s words echoed in the back of my mind, a chilling prophecy: ¡°More wille for your powers.¡±


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out, gathering what little strength I had. ¡°What if¡­ what if there is no saving me?¡±


    His face became pale, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, ra. You¡¯ll be fine. The doctors are the best in the kingdom.¡±


    But the doubt in his voice betrayed his words. He knew, as I did, that the odds were stacked against me. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t see him. But if there¡¯s any chance¡­¡±


    He trailed off; his voice choked with emotion. I reached out, my trembling hand barely reaching the edge of the bed. He took it in his, his fingers were warm against my mmy skin.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I whispered, my voice weak but determined. ¡°Even if¡­ even if there¡¯s no cure¡­ thank you.¡±


    He squeezed my hand, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. ¡°For what, ra?¡±


    ¡°For everything,¡± I said. ¡°For saving me, for¡­ for loving me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if they were my words or those of the drugs the doctors pumped into me. But all the same, it felt good hearing me say it.


    He leaned closer, his forehead resting against mine, his touch sent warmth through my body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± he murmured. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere. We¡¯ll fight this together, ra. We always do.¡±


    His words held hope. But at that moment, enveloped by his warmth and the protectiveness in his eyes, I allowed myself to believe him. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was still a chance.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    My mind reeled. How long had I been unconscious? What had happened while I was out?


    ¡°Alex?¡± What¡­ What are you doing here? I thought I was just having a conversation with Kieran like a second ago.¡±


    ¡°No, you have been unconscious for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°A few hours? That means he didn¡¯t say that he¡­¡± I paused and forced a smile, ¡°where is Kieran?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He is with the prisoner or was. The guard has gone to alert him.¡±


    ¡°Was? What happened?¡±


    A strange expression came across his face like a mixture of surprise and relief. But before he could answer, Kieran stepped forward.

 CHAPTER 131: THE DAMAGE HE CAUSED

    ¡°ra?¡± Kieran called out standing by the doorway. Alex quickly excused us. Kieran looked different, more worried. Dark circles already grew beneath his eyes, and his hair was unkempt, unlike his usual impable appearance.


    But the surprise of seeing him here turned to a bitter taste in my mouth.? The memory of his harsh words overheard during his conversation with Alex echoed in my mind.? ¡°I don¡¯t have feelings for her,¡± he¡¯d said, his voice cold and devoid of any affection.


    His presence in the room felt different


    Maybe he was here to check on his investment, the future queen who¡¯d almost gotten herself killed.


    ¡°The vampire King,¡± I said.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He moved to my bedside, ¡°he is dead. I killed him. Moments after I heard you woke up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I should thank you then. Hurray! You saved me,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°ra, thank God you¡¯re alright. I was so worried.¡±


    His words felt hollow.


    ¡°Worried?¡± I echoed; my voice filled with a bitterness I couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°You sound surprised,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone that night,¡± he stammered, avoiding my eyes.? ¡°I should have known the vampire King wouldn¡¯t give up so easily.¡±


    The anger that had been growing beneath the surface threatened to boil over. ¡°Left me alone?¡±? I scoffed.? ¡°You could say that again.? Especially considering what I overheard you say to Alex.¡±


    Yeah, I know. But I apologized.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±¡± I spat, the hurt and betrayal twisting in my gut.? ¡°So much for your supposed worry, Kieran.? Seems like my well-being isn¡¯t as important as whatever charade you¡¯re ying.¡±


    He sank into the chair beside my bed, burying his head in his hands.


    ¡°ra, please,¡± he pleaded.? ¡°Those words¡­ they don¡¯t reflect how I truly feel about you.¡±


    But the damage was done.? His earlier words had created a rift between us, a hole filled with doubt and insecurity.? ¡°Then how do you feel?¡± I asked, my voice trembling slightly.


    He remained silent and shifted his gaze to the floor.? The answer, or rather theck of it, spoke volumes.? I felt hurt again, even worse this time, drowning any hope I might have had.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. I thought as much,¡± I scoffed, ¡°I guess my dreams about you are much better than the actual reality.¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision.? ¡°Leave,¡± I whispered, the word choked as the sob escaped my lips.? ¡°Just¡­ Please leave.¡±


    He looked up but I refused to meet his gaze.? The vulnerability in his eyes only increased the betrayal I felt.


    He sighed and rose from the chair, his hand lingering for a moment near mine before he retreated into the corridor.? The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with the silence and the weight of my own shattered heart.


    Kieran had my chambers prepared for my return. Stepping through the doorway, I was greeted by the soft glow of candlelight and the steam rising from a copper bathtub filled with steaming water. Rose petals floated on the surface of the water which added its beauty to the painful white porcin bathtub.


    My breath hitched. This was romantic, no doubt about that. A warmth bloomed in my chest


    I felt at home again. But even as I savored the unexpected gesture, a voice in the back of my head reminded me of his words, the ones I¡¯d overheard. And the ones he couldn¡¯t find when I asked him the obvious question.


    I sighed and rxed on the bed for a while. My room was well arranged. My closet smelled of rose petals and was filled with clean dresses. I had not expected to be greeted with any of that but there I was. I knew it was all Kieran¡¯s making. I picked up the bathrobe that sat folded on the edge of my bed and sniffed it. It smelled fresher than how I had left it. I stripped off the clothes I had on and wrapped myself in the bathrobe.


    Just as I was about to sink into the warmth of the bath, Kieran entered the room. His gazended on the tub, then on me.


    ¡°I thought a warm bath might help ease your pain,¡± he said, his voice gentle, ¡°The doctors said the vampire venom can cause¡­¡±


    He trailed off; I knew what he was trying to say. The venom could cause a great deal of pain, both physical and emotional.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled, avoiding his gaze. The warmth that had bloomed in my chest earlier had withered under my unspoken fear.


    We stood for a while without saying anything to each other. Then, in a hesitant voice, Kieran spoke again.


    ¡°Would you¡­ would you like me to join you?¡±


    My head snapped up as I faced him, my gaze meeting him. Had he just suggested that to me after everything he had made me go through? I gulped down the growing anger in my gut. I knew I was angry but every fiber of my being wanted to say yes, to melt into the warmth of the bath and his presence.


    But then, the memory of his cruel words, the ones that had carved a deep hole in my heart, held me back.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯d prefer to be alone.¡±


    His face fell and he nodded slowly, his lips pressed into a thin line. He lingered for a moment longer, as I made little steps to the bathroom, before finally turning to leave.


    The following days went by and I didn¡¯t get to see Kieran much. Not because he didn¡¯te around but because I didn¡¯t want to see him. But the nurses and doctors always came around to check on me as they monitored the strange effects of the vampire venom coursing through my veins.


    ¡°Where is the King?¡± I asked one of the nurses as she packed up to leave my room.


    ¡°He was attending to a few guests when we came in. Do you want to see him?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, I just wanted to know where he is,¡± I forced a smile hiding away the lies.


    She nodded, ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    As soon as the door mmed closed, I buried my head in the pillow and shut my eyes. Just then, I heard a knock again on the door, ¡°did you forget something?¡± I called out but no one responded. Instead, the door creaked open and Kiera walked in.


    ¡°Kieran, what are you doing here?¡± I almost sounded excited but I quickly hid that feeling away before it would actually be noticeable.


    ¡°You called me.¡±


    His words thrilled me. I sat up gradually, ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing that,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you did or said to the nurse but she came to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I cussed resting back on my pillow as I faced the ceiling.


    ¡°What? Did you or did you not ask to see me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then why did she¡­¡±


    ¡°I only asked after you,¡± I cut him off, ¡°you can leave thank you foring,¡± I turned towards the wall. The next thing I heard was the door mming on its hinges.


    Kieran made sure he visited me every other day. I didn¡¯t want it but he wouldn¡¯t just give up. His visits were a constant push and pull of unspoken emotions between us, that was the reason I detested it.

 CHAPTER 132: KIERAN TRIALS

    The day that went by had been like a usual routine. The boredom was written all over my face. I heard a knock on the door and as usual, Kieran stepped in. I thought he hade to drop a new book for me. I had be a bookworm as well for having nothing much to do as I was still subjected to bed rest. It turns out that having several bites from the vampire king wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed. Well, luckily, I got the bites and not someone else with less capacity to hold the pain.


    As Kieran stepped in, my eyes searched his hand for the nook he hade with but I found nothing.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a book today¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve read all my good books but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve sent for more.¡±


    I looked away uninterested in what he had to say.


    ¡°But I think we should do something different today.¡±


    That sounded a bit old. I haven¡¯t heard that for a while.


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± I asked already knowing my answer to whatever he had to say.


    ¡°I spoke with the doctor and he said that you are doing fine. Recovering fast. So, I was wondering if we could spend the day together. Maybe go out to the gardens and feel the heat of the sun. You might have missed that. We could even y cards or maybe I could read the new books to you or you could read to me to take my mind off things. Whatever works for you,¡± he ended with a growing smile. I knew what he was doing and I liked that he was making efforts but all that would not take back the words that he had said to me. It would not wipe away the memory that was now stuck in my forebrain. That moment his visit irked me. I needed to be alone.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I cleared my throat thinking of a better way to say the words without striking a nerve.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t go out right now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I still feel some pains in my¡­my legs and arms. Everywhere,¡¯ I lied. I hadn¡¯t felt better in weeks. It was a good day to see the sun.


    ¡°Oh, should I call the doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, I just want to rest and I want to be alone.¡± I forced a smile.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he nodded finally getting the picture. I didn¡¯t me him neither did I feel bad for turning him down. The fear that he might simply be doing his duty, the fear of him seeing me vulnerable and weak, kept me at arm¡¯s length.


    The next day, the satisfaction of staying locked in all day began to irk me. I felt the walls pressing against my head. I needed a breath of fresh air. I was due for some of that. As soon as the nurse did their rounds.


    I walked out of the bed towards the door. Maybe I would take that stroll through the gardens by myself. But I craved to see those new books that Kieran had ordered.


    Opening the door of my chambers, I was greeted by a sight that made my heart skip a beat. A beautiful bouquet of lilies, my favorite flower, stood on a table by the door. Beside themy a box of choctes, wrapped in a ribbon the color of the sunset, a color that reminded me of his favorite robe. Just amongst the flowers and choctes was a folded note.


    I picked them up and looked out. Perhaps the person who had dropped it was still out there. But there was no one. The hallway was as empty as I had expected. I walked back into my room shutting the door.


    I turned the back of the note, Kieran was inscribed on it.


    Just as I had expected, a smile creeper to my lips.


    My breath hitched. This was exactly the kind of gesture I had craved, something sweet and simple that spoke volumes about his feelings. And for once, I basked in it. Suppressing the fear of the many what it¡¯s.


    I ced the basket of goodies on the bed. And picked up the bouquet first. Leading it up to my nose. Its smell reminded me of the good old days. When I would go out to the little garden at the back of the house with my father to pick up lilies for my mother. It was always a wonderful experience seeing the joy in her face whenever we presented it to her.


    I ced the flowers back on the bed.


    Then the choctes came next. Typical milk chocte in fancy packs. Not my style but it was good.


    Picking up the note, I unfolded it, my heart pounding in my chest. But before I could even read the first word the smile suddenly dried in my lips. Anger took control.


    What was this? It hurt me that I was falling for his little trap. Thinking that he could buy me off with flowers and a poorly written note.


    With a growl that surprised even me, I crumpled the note and threw the entire arrangement  flowers, choctes, and all  into the trash can. The delicate liliesy crumpled amongst the discarded choctes. I eyed it and walked back to bed.


    Just then, I heard a familiar sound  the heavy thump of Kieran¡¯s boots approaching. I panicked looking at the mess that I had made. Maybe I should have had a little control over my emotions. I hadn¡¯t meant tosh out like that but the damage was done.


    The door creaked open just as I had anticipated and Kieran walked in. Just as he did, his gaze fell on the overturned flower vase and the crumpled contents of the basket, and his face went pale.


    ¡°ra?¡± he said. I could hear the hurt in his voice.


    I gulped.


    I couldn¡¯t see his gaze. I felt shame burning in my cheeks. It felt so hot threatening to consume me.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t need any of that,¡± I mumbled, my voice choked up in my throat. ¡°Just leave me alone.¡±


    Kieran could not find his words as he did not say anything to me. Neither did I say anything to him as well.


    He didn¡¯t move from his spot. And his eyes did not leave the trash can. Part of him seemed hurt, yes, but I guess he understood the reasons for my action as he still couldn¡¯t find his words. Perhaps he understood the anger within me.? The same one that he had caused me.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°ra,¡± he began, his voice low and gentle, ¡°I know you¡¯re scared. This whole situation is terrifying, and I can only imagine what you¡¯re going through.¡±


    His words sounded honest enough for me to want to listen to. My fear wasn¡¯t just about the vampire venom, it was about allowing myself to be vulnerable, to open my heart to him only to have it shattered. Again.


    ¡°But shutting me out won¡¯t make things easier,¡± he continued, ¡°Let me be here for you, ra. As your friend, as your¡­ whatever you need me to be.¡±


    My heart ached at the tenderness in his voice, at the way he was willing to be whatever I needed, just to be with me.


    But the fear remained coiled up in my stomach. ¡°What if things change, Kieran?¡± I whispered, ¡°What if¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off, unable to finish the terrifying question that haunted me: what if I allowed myself to fall for him, only to be a liability, a burden on his kingdom and him?


    He walked closer to me stopping just a few feet away. But he didn¡¯t take his eyes away from me.


    ¡°ra, I don¡¯t have all the answers. No one knows what the future holds. But I do know this  I care about you. You¡¯re more than just a responsibility to me. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re important to me.¡±


    These were just the words I needed to hear. But the fear whispered its doubts. Could I allow myself to believe him?

 CHAPTER 133: A NOTE FROM KIERAN

    I looked away from him hiding the tears that grew in my eyes. As soon as I sulked it all in, I looked at him again. My gaze from his face to the crumpled flowers in the bin.


    A deep breath escaped my lips. ¡°I¡­¡± I began, my voice trembling. But before I could finish the sentence, we heard a knock on the door and both turned to the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a guard¡¯s voice called out from outside. ¡°An urgent message from the northern border.¡±


    Kieran signed. But before he could respond, he turned to me.


    ¡°ra, Please, don¡¯t throw away that note. Think about what it says.¡±


    With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the silence, and the crumpled flowers. I walked to the trash can and picked up the discarded note, I slowly unfolded it. My hands trembled slightly as I read the words written across the page:


    ¡°ra,


    I know that it has been a tough ride with me. I won¡¯t say that I understand all the feelings going on within me. But all I know is that we would go through everything together. Just as we have been doing. I knew we would figure it out. I care about you, believe me or not. I want to continue to go through these paths with you, ra. Yes, you, not anyone else. But I will understand if you decide to let go.


    Kieran.¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the words on the paper. He cared about me, but was he willing to fight for me?


    I was still unsure about a lot of things. But maybe there was a chance for us. A chance for a love that could overpower the fear and duty of the Kingdom. But first, I had to face my fear, and that wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    It was dinner time, that night we had roasted vegetables and herb-crusted fish which remained mostly untouched on my te. My stomach was filled from barely staring at my te. Or maybe there was more to the way that felt. Kieran had the same look on his face. We had not said anything to each other ever since we started dinner. The note fight might have touched him in ces that it shouldn¡¯t have. Each time I looked up, I would find his eyes on me.


    ¡°Pass me the jug,¡± I said and, in a few seconds, he pushed the jug closer. The silence was even worse than when he yelled at me. At that point, I wanted him to say something to me. Maybe we could talk about random stuff altogether even if it made no sense at all.


    He cleared his throat, the sound echoed in the diner. ¡°So,¡± he began, ¡®About the nurses¡­¡±


    Yes random, he might have read my mind.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know much,¡± I interjected, cutting him off before he could talk about another clinical update on my condition. ¡°Just that the bite is¡­ different.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°But they¡¯re working on a cure, you know that.¡±


    I did know, but the knowledge did little to ease the fear that had taken root in my mind. The vampire king¡¯s words, ¡°More toe,¡± echoed in my mind.


    ¡°What if there isn¡¯t a cure, Kieran?¡± I whispered, the question tumbling out before I could stop it.


    His gaze softened, ¡°We won¡¯t think like that, ra. We¡¯ll fight this together.¡±


    His words held a quiet promise though. So, I clung to it a bit more.


    We sat in silence for a moment longer. Then, with a sigh, Kieran pushed back his chair and rose to his feet.


    ¡°I should get back to work,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± I blurted out, the word catching in my throat.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    He stopped by the door, his gaze searching mine. ¡°ra?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± I whispered.


    He turned back towards me; his steps deliberate as he closed the distance between us.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t stay, ra,¡± he said, ¡°There are things that need my attention.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± My voice trailed off. I wanted to tell him to stay, to postpone whatever he had to do for just a little while longer. But the words didn¡¯t just fall out when I needed it to.


    He stopped in front of me, his eyes searching mine. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want me here,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°My body says otherwise,¡± he added.


    I looked into his eyes watching his smile. And like the realest thing in the world, he leaned closer and ced his lips on mine.


    The touch of his lips thrilled me. I suddenly felt the wetness between my legs. My body wanted him even as my mind protested.


    We fell back onto the nearby sofa and his lips didn¡¯t leave mine.


    His hands roamed my body causing me to drip even more.


    Then he pulled away and faced me.


    ¡°You may say no, ra,¡± he murmured against my lips, ¡°but your body tells a different story.¡±


    For some reason, those were the most romantic words I had heard in a long time. He grabbed me from my thighs and ced me on the table clearing away all the dishes as they crashed to the ground.


    ¡°Kieran, what are we doing? We are outside,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said. And just as he had instructed, my eyes did not leave his.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± He whispered.


    ¡°I see you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what should matter to you.¡±


    I grabbed him and pulled him close, diving his lips. With my legs apart, he stood in between them. I didn¡¯t know if anyone was watching butst, I checked we were all alone in the dimly lit diner. All I could see was Kieran¡¯s face with a burning desire to have me and the feeling was mutual. I strolled with the drawstrings of my dress and its knots held strong. Letting go put a chuckle, he pulled my dress up to my waist. I was bare and wet ready to have. In a bit, he had his pants down. And slid in me. The weight of his hardness reminded me of the feeling whenever we went down together. It reminded me of every reason I wanted him in the first ce and why the anger lingered for a long whenever he said hurtful words to me.


    I clutched to his back as he stroked me hard.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I pulled my head back just realizing I was biting my lips. He held his gaze filled on me. As he went back and forth, so did the table rock. At some point, as he increased his pace, I thought the table might crash.


    Kieran grabbed my arms and led me down. He made me face the table leaning towards it. So, he would have ess from behind. I loved to hear the tter of our skin jamming against each other. As he thrust hard and fast, I clutched to the table gasping for breath. I shut my eyes biting my lips. He leaned closer, his breath caressing my pinna. It thrilled me, drawing me closer to climax. Kieran grip on my arm tightened as he increased his pace. His firmness didn¡¯t only show up in battles. Then I felt a warm rush in between my legs as his stroke gradually reduced. I faced him and kissed his lips but then he pulled me even closer in a tight hug. I could hear his heartbeat just as he heard mine.

 CHAPTER 134: A NEW DEAL

    I turned sharply to face Kieran, the shock running through me as Kieran mmed the hardcover book down on the table. The ornately embossed seal of the Werewolf Council glinted in the dim light of his chambers.


    I had moved indefinitely into his chambers after that night at the diner. There was no time we spent without our hands on each other unless at times like this.


    ¡°A meeting,¡± he growled, ¡°They want a meeting.¡±


    ¡°After all this time?¡± I echoed, picking up the paper and skimming through it. ¡°They haven¡¯t exactly been sending out Christmas cards,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap,¡± Kieran said, his jaw clenched. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t suddenly be interested in peace talks unless they were nning something.¡±


    His words echoed my fears. The timing was too convenient, too sudden after years of tension and preaching war to us. I had not left Kieran yet, nor had I suddenly my powers. And so why were they sending an invitation to Kieran for a meeting? Something smells fishy but either way, there was a war looming. The sound of war was terrifying, especially after what happened with the vampire kingdom. And what happened to me after that?


    I would choose any other option than allowing anything of that sort to ever happen again.


    ¡°Maybe, but maybe not. Maybe they¡¯re finally seeing reason.¡±


    I thought about the positive side. Being optimistic was what kept me afloat.


    Kieran snorted, ¡°Reason? These Werewolves and reason don¡¯t exactly go hand in hand, ra.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± I conceded. ¡°But what if there¡¯s a chance, even a slim one? We can¡¯t just dismiss it out of hand.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten what happened?¡±


    He had to remind me.


    ¡°How can I forget? I¡¯m the target, remember? Let¡¯s just see the possibility of what this meeting can bring up. You never know, this could bring the peace that we have always wanted.


    He stared at me; his eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, meeting his gaze. ¡°We can take precautions. We would go there with a full guard, we choose the meeting ce, and we don¡¯t go unarmed.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°And what if that¡¯s not enough? What if this is just a ploy to lure us into a vulnerable position?¡±


    The fear in his voice mirrored my own. But the thought of countless lives being lost in a war that could be avoided spurred me on.


    ¡°Then we fight,¡± I said, my voice firmer than I felt. ¡°But at least we¡¯ll know we tried everything to avoid bloodshed.¡±


    He moved away. I knew that he considered it. It was a good n. Every n that didn¡¯t involve a war was a good n for me.


    I watched him.


    Finally, with a deep breath, he spoke. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯ll go. But on my terms.¡±


    ¡°What terms?¡±


    ¡°On the terms that you would do exactly as I say at least for starters.¡±


    I nodded; a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Kieran took up a paper and settled in his study as he began to write a reply to the letter he had just received. I stood beside him watching as he wrote down every word. It was more like acknowledging the message that they had sent and agreeing to meet up. Since the message from the werewolf council didn¡¯t state the meeting ce, he asked them about it too. Hopefully, it would be at the werewolf council building, the same one that we had gone to the first time that we had been invited.


    ¡°The message is here,¡± Kieran saidter that afternoon. I had curled up in bed all day hoping that the meeting was what they said it would be.


    I left the bed as soon as Kieran settled in his study and joined him there


    ¡°What does it say?¡± I asked, standing beside him as he unfolded the paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s at the Werewolf Council center.¡±


    I heaved as I heard that. It was a good sign.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean if it¡¯s at that center that means they just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, we leave tomorrow,¡± he said.


    I nodded.


    On the day of the meeting, the sky was a steel gray. The uncertainty reeled in me but I needed to stand firm. Kieran would want that.


    The abandoned highway was before us, a cracked asphaltne swallowed by the forest. The wind howled, rattling the windows of the armored SUV as we approached the meeting point. It was unusually quiet, unlike the way that it used to be. Not that it was a path that I was familiar with but I knew in my gut that something was wrong. I knew it was a bad time to show any form of weakness as we were already halfway to where we were headed.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I said, ¡°are you sure about this?¡±


    His jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the road ahead. ¡°I don¡¯t trust them, ra. Not one bit. This could be a trap.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know how this might sound but I¡¯m beginning to get that feeling as well, but we are here. Let¡¯s just get it done.¡±


    Kieran sighed, ¡°Alright, but if anything feels off, we turn back.¡±


    I nodded.


    As we pulled into the shadow of the road, the SUV doors were yanked open before we could even react. A group of werewolves surrounded us.


    I sat still behind Kieran as I watched them. From their stern stares and ws already out,? they didn¡¯t look like they were there for a meeting.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Kieran asked, ¡°We are just here for the meeting. But this is not the meeting ce that was stated in the letter,¡± he added.


    I didn¡¯t know how to tell him without the werewolves grabbing my words that this might have been a trap set up and we had just walked into it. Unarmed and unguarded.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± the leaders snared. He had a hulking figure with a fur coat the color of burnt umber. He held a curved de in his hand, ¡°We were expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I swallowed.


    Every fiber of my being screamed that something was wrong, an uneasiness growing with each passing moment. My head throbbed and my heart pounded faster all at once.


    ¡°Yes, but this is a bit out of proportion don¡¯t you think?¡± Kieran asked. He tried to hold his voice firmly but I still heard the quiver embedded in it.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a perfect spot for what is about to happen,¡± the werewolf said.


    ¡°Look, the Werewolf Council building where we had agreed to meet is just a few miles ahead. Why don¡¯t we go there and have this meeting? just as we had earlier discussed?¡±


    The werewolves stared at each other and roared inughter at Kieran¡¯s suggestion. Just then, I knew that we had been ying.


    I grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand, squeezing it firmly.


    Suddenly, one of the werewolves, a young male with eyes burning with what I could tell as rage, threw a handful of strange, glowing flowers through the broken passenger window.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I gasped but before I could realize it, the sweet scent of the strange flower filled the air which made my eyelid heavy and my eyes droopy. My vision suddenly turned blurry. I held my trembling hands out and a petal of the flower fell on it. I recognized those flowers  Moon blooms. It was a rare breed of witches¡¯ ivy trees. During one of the nights, I sneaked into my father¡¯s study room to study the scrolls, I hade across a write-up on one of the scrolls about a certain breed of Moon Blooms, with its purple petals and sweet scent just like the one that I held in my hands. It was rumored to possess the ability to weaken magic.


    Magic? That was mostly what I possessed. The powers from the moon were what made me.? My powers were my only defense, and the more I sat there and inhaled, the more I felt my powers sputtering, growing fainter within me.

 CHAPTER 135: THE OUTCOME OF A TRICKSTER

    My throat suddenly felt too dry and I swallowed everything to make it feel a bit moistened but it did add some moisture.


    I opened the door from the other side and crawled out holding my throat as it felt like my breaths were already slipping away. I couldn¡¯t see the ground properly as I crawled slowly.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I managed to call out choking on the sound of my voice. As I looked ahead towards the car, the werewolves had already plunged and attacked Kieran. We could have listened to our instincts. We could have taken our weapons or at least brought the guards with us. But out of everything, I did hope that the meeting would finally bring the peace that we so much longed for. But there I was, sitting in the grass struggling for my breath while I saw the blur view of Kieran fighting off over a hundred powerful Alphas.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As I sat there in my misery, I saw the blurred movements of snarls and shing fangs. Kieran fought back with so much strength that took my breath away, but there were simply too many. Then as if being summoned by my thoughts about saving Kieran, one of the Werewolves saw me there, maybe I wasn¡¯t suffering enough in his glowing eyes. That he came to offer me some of his dosage of suffering inflicting more pain than a person can bear.


    ¡°It¡¯s you right? The so-called chosen one. You know Kieran was supposed to be the Lycan king. Fearless and the most powerful amongst all the Alpha¡¯s but since you came, you have brought nothing but destruction in our lives.¡±


    ¡°No, you are wrong,¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he grabbed my hair and I winced in pain pulling my head forward so that I could see Kieran. He already had blood on his face.


    ¡°Look at what you are doing. This is all you. You bring nothing but destruction to everyone. Look At what happened to Ryan. You killed him. After all he did to you.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing,¡± I spat struggling in his grip, ¡°Ryan was a killer. I was only trying to save myself.¡±


    ¡°Then save yourself now,¡± he threw me to the ground. The first kick went directly to my chest. My body went numb for a minute as I wailed. Kieran already had his hands full and so, I was all alone. To this werewolf and everyone else, I was a goddess that should not be among men and so, there was no peace for me. No matter how good and kind and sweet I was to anyone, they would never see me for me. I was done trying. He threw his book to me again and itnded on my belly. My screams were muffled and all that could escape my lips as I rolled on the ground the dirt perching on my hair.


    ¡°Are you not going to save yourself, you weakling,¡± he spat.


    I groaned, moving away from him. But he was too fast, or maybe I was too weak to move at all. He pulled me back and smacked my head so hard that itnded on the ground with a thud.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to end you and forever we will have peace!¡±


    This was it. I needed to do something. It was now or never. As soon as he leaned close with a de,? I grabbed his hair and he groaned but that was only the beginning of what I had in mind.


    I scrambled out of his grip.? Then I shut my eyes, I knew I could do it just the way Nikkei had taught me. Reach into that inner strength. There was always an inner strength that had no moonstone to tame. And that was always the peak of all strength. I heard Kieran¡¯s grunts and his wails. He had been the onlyfort in the troubling storm. Myfort and now they wanted to end him. I was not going to let that happen. I channeled my remaining power into a desperate st of energy. It knocked the werewolf back, but the effort drained thest of my power. My movements were sluggish, my powers fizzled harmlessly.


    I was fucked.


    The Alphas finally brought Kieran down. A werewolf Alpha, the cruel one from before, pinned him to the ground with his knee.


    ¡°I have been waiting for this moment for a long time,¡± he had a wide grin splitting his face. He raised the curved de. I shut my eyes waiting for the de on my neck. To finally end it all.


    ¡°No, please,¡± Kieran sniffed.


    I opened my eyes. And then he stopped and watched me and then Kieran.


    ¡°Mmm¡­you know what guys; this would be a lot of fun if we kill him and let her watch.¡±


    ¡°What? No! Kill me instead. Don¡¯t touch him. It is me you want.¡±


    ¡°I can see some feelings here. This would be a lot more fun than I had anticipated. Take out the King first,¡± he snarled, ¡°Let the witch watch him die.¡±


    ¡°No please,¡± I cried out.


    They grabbed Kieran and in that very second that I saw the de go through him, the world blurred around me.


    ¡°No!¡± I wailed. My wail tore from my throat. It was a sound filled with rage and terror so I felt it ripping through the veil of the Moon Blooms¡¯ effects.


    At that moment, something inside me snapped. A raw, untamed power through my veins, a force I had never known. My vision went white, my body moving forward, fueled by an instinct older than reason.


    ¡°What is going on with her? Kill her immediately!¡±


    But it was toote. They should have killed me first.


    The werewolves surrounding me didn¡¯t stand a chance. Their life force as well as their very essence, was sucked from them. All I could hear were their screams, chokes, and gurgling. It filled the air. Like in the horror series and this time, I was the monster. The smell of their blood mixed with the sweet smell of the Moon Blooms covered the air.


    When I finally stopped draining what was left, I gasped for breath. The werewolves, every single one of them y still on the ground. Their eyes were empty and vacant, their bodies were drained of life.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± my gaze moved to Kieran and I rushed towards him. His face had gone pale. Blood bloomed on his chest where the de had pierced his armor.


    He was alive, but barely. His breathing was shallow, and his eyes gradually closed shut.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I rasped, rushing to his side. My heart pounded.


    He opened his eyes and smiled at me.


    ¡°ra,¡± he whispered, his voice sounding weak. ¡°You¡­ you did it.¡±


    A sob escaped my lips. ¡°But at what cost?¡± I cried, cradling his head in myp.


    He coughed,? ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t worry about me,¡± he whispered. I could hear his voice fading.


    ¡°How can I not worry about you?¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°ra, it¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital, we can get there on time.¡±


    ¡°No ra, stop. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. It was meant to make me happy this way.¡±


    ¡°No, not like this. Please stay with me. Let me take you to the hospital,¡± I tried to hold him up.


    ¡°Hey¡­hey listen,¡± he held me and I stopped pushing. I couldn¡¯t control the tears falling down my cheek.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he murmured. His words brought fresh tears to my eyes.


    His hand, covered with blood, reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. He smiled. Then, with a deep sigh, his gaze went nk and his chest became still.

 CHAPTER 136 : DEAD AND ALIVE. YIN AND YANG

    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out, ¡°Kieran¡­no Kieran, please. This cannot happen to you. Not you! It should have been me. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± I wailed.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be. Not him. Not Kieran.


    I screamed and pounded his chest. The sound echoed through the road and the same power that had drained the life force of the werewolves came out through me leaving behind an emptiness within me. I held Kieran close, and the warmness of his skin gradually passed. I looked around; it had be a much more familiar scene now.? Indeed, I was dangerous. The werewolves lying lifelessly around me were proof of the kind of power that I had. A? power that had saved me but cost him everything.


    Tears streamed down my face. My power felt like a curse. But then, a curse could also be a blessing. My powers were like the two sides of a coin. Yin and yang. Life or death. It had taken, it could also give.


    This wasn¡¯t over. I wouldn¡¯t let it be. I ced my hand on his chest and shut my eyes. At first, my thoughts were random and distorted. I didn¡¯t quite understand it. The glow wasn¡¯t strong. Until I saw his face in my thoughts. With his lips stretching out in the most beautiful smile that anyone could ever think of. His warm hands on me and his soothing words. I wanted to have all of that again. I wanted to have a life with him. I loved him so much.


    ¡°Oh moon, you are the strongest in centuries. Why have you given me such powers if I cannot save the man that I love? I want to save him. I want to give him back his life that I have stolen,¡± I paused and looked at him, ¡°Kieran, I love you so much,¡± with those words, I opened my eyes, it was there, the power at its peak in the calmest way ever. Now it didn¡¯te to suck life it came to give. I felt the life of the werewolves leaving me into Kieran. And with a deep breath, he opened his eyes.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out to him.


    ¡°ra¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± He tried to stand but then groaned as heid back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand, you are hurt badly. The medic will be here in a minute,¡± I couldn¡¯t hold down the smile on my face. The moon had healed him, not me. I could never have done it on my own.


    I looked up, ¡°Thank you,¡¯ I muttered. Tears rolled down my cheek.


    ¡°I thought I had died,¡± he whispered, ¡°you brought me back.¡±


    ¡°The moon saved you,¡± I said.     It had been a few weeks after the incident and I have never been happier to see Kieran on his feet again. But his stubbornness did not let him stay in bed a bit longer. His wounds were healing fast and it was good. But deep down, I still wanted him to be in bed so I would look closely at him and take care of him just the way I had promised.


    The lights reflected on Kieran¡¯s study that night. I peeked through the half-open door, and there he was seated by his study just as I had feared. My chest tightened at the sight of him hunched over a mountain of paperwork. He had his brow furrowed, the same way it used to be wherever he was deep in concentration. Lines etched deep into his face. He looked exhausted.


    I pushed the door open and walked in.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Kieran? It¡¯ste.¡± My voice sounded soft I hoped wouldn¡¯te across as nagging.


    He looked up at me as a tired smile graced his lips. ¡°ra, I didn¡¯t hear youe in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for hours,¡± I said, stepping closer. The smell of old and new books and burning candle wax filled my nose. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to call it a night?¡±


    He sighed, leaning back in his chair letting out a tired groan. His shoulders slumped, ¡°There¡¯s just so much to catch up on,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Reports from the outlying provinces, petitions from the guilds¡­¡±


    ¡°It can wait until tomorrow,¡± I insisted, walking towards him. ¡°You need your rest, Kieran. You haven¡¯t slept properly in days. And you know that you are just recovering.¡±


    He smiled weakly. ¡°A king¡¯s work is never done, love.¡±


    My heart ached for him. ¡°I know, but your health is important. Right now, the people would understand that you need to get better,¡± I reminded him gently, cing a hand on his shoulder.? ¡°And even kings need to listen to their bodies sometimes.¡±


    He met my gaze and sighed, ¡°Alright, alright. You win. But just a few more minutes, I promise.¡±


    I knew that ¡°a few more minutes¡± could easily turn into another hour, so it was time to push it further.


    ¡°No promises,¡± I said, guiding him out of his chair. ¡°Come on, up you get. Bedtime.¡±


    He chuckled weakly, ¡°Alright, bossy queen,¡± he teased, allowing me to usher him toward his bed.


    As we reached the bed, I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. His steps were slow and sluggish. I was worried about him overworking himself but beneath all that, I was grateful that he was alive. He was here, with me.


    I helped him into his nightshirt.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± his voice echoed, and settled into bed.


    ¡°Hold on let me get your pills.¡± I retrieved a small vial from the bedside table.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, holding out the vial with two small pills. ¡°These will help with the pain.¡±


    He frowned at the pills on my palm. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just something to ease the aches and pains,¡± I replied vaguely. ¡°The doctors gave them to you.¡±


    He sighed again without further questions, he took the pills and washed them down with a ss of water I offered him.


    ¡°Tea?¡± I asked, already turning towards the door.


    He stopped me with a questioning look on his face ¡°Tea? I thought I always had a ss of warm milk before bed.¡±


    I chuckled ¡°Milk?¡± I wanted to be sure I had heard right.


    He nodded, ¡°what? Is there anything wrong with a ss of milk?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you have never asked for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is a first time for everything.¡±


    I nodded. He hated milk. He alwaysined about the taste and the way it made his stomach rumble. He would rather go for a soothing chamomile tea instead.


    ¡°People change,¡± I said, trying to sound normal as I met his gaze.


    ¡°What?¡± he said.


    ¡°I said people change,¡± I forced a smile avoiding his eyes. I knew that he studied me for a moment as his eyes searched mine. Why was he acting so different? Maybe it¡¯s the drugs, I shoved the thought out.


    This was Kieran.? He might be acting strangely, but at least he was alive.? And right now, that was all that mattered.


    ¡°Alright, tea it is,¡± I agreed with a forced smile, turning towards the door.? ¡°Back in a sec,¡± I said.

 CHAPTER 137: THE NEW KIERAN

    By the time I opened my eyes the next morning, I couldn¡¯t find Kieran beside me. He usually woke me with a gentle kiss or the soft murmur of his greetings and morning routine. But he just disappeared.


    ¡°Oh well¡­¡± I signed and stretched out; my hair fell backward itching my shoulders. I reached for my scrunchie in the bedside drawer but it wasn¡¯t there. As I bent down to check under the bed, my hand brushed against something cold and solid.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I retrieved my hands with the substance. They were pills. My heart skipped. The same small, white capsules I¡¯d given Kieran the night before and the nights before that all piled up under the bed.


    ¡°What are they doing here? Oh God Kieran.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t quite ce why he had not taken them and most importantly, why he had not told me about it. We were supposed to be a team. But there I was confused as to why he would not take what would relieve him of the pains from the injury and what would make him heal better. Or maybe I was overthinking it and the pain did not bother him.


    Throwing on a robe, I moved out of the room, the pills clenched tightly in my hand. I didn¡¯t exactly know where I would find him but I knew he wouldn¡¯t leave the pce. Finally, I found him in the courtyard. He faced the wall.


    ¡°Kieran?¡±? I called out but he didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I called again.? This time, he turned slowly.


    ¡°ra.¡±


    ¡°There you are,¡± I said. ¡°What are you doing out here so early?¡±


    He remained silent, ¡°Just¡­ thinking.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about what?¡± I pressed; my hand reached out to touch his arm.? He flinched away as my hand touched him.


    ¡°Nothing important,¡± he mumbled, avoiding my gaze.


    ¡°Those pills,¡± my voice trembled slightly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take them?¡±


    He stiffened, ¡°I don¡¯t need them,¡± he said curtly.? ¡°The pain is manageable.¡±


    There was something off about the way he spoke to me. I could feel the coldness in his eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before, a distance that felt wide.? ¡°But I gave them to you, for the pain.¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t need them,¡± he repeated.


    I? couldn¡¯t quite understand what was going on.? This wasn¡¯t the Kieran I knew. The Kieran who always listened and trusted me. This man seemed like a stranger. Maybe his near experience with death had changed him, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    My eyes felt hot. I could haveshed out and said a lot of things to him but instead, I took a step back.? ¡°Look, ra,¡± he began, ¡°If you don¡¯t trust my judgment, then maybe¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. This wasn¡¯t a conversation I could win.? Not right now.? Not with him in this state.


    I sighed and turned away, ¡°Never mind,¡± I mumbled, ¡°Just¡­ get some rest.¡±


    Without another word, I retraced my steps. I just couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. It was all a mystery that I was going to sort out soon enough.


    As the hours went by, Kieran said little to me. It had be like a puzzle staying around him. I didn¡¯t know if it was about what had happened earlier or if there was more to it. His gaze felt distant. He didn¡¯t touch me and barely let my hands rest on him even for a minute.? It was as if a wall had been built between us like an invisible barrier that I couldn¡¯t seem to prate.


    As soon as it was time for his meds again, I stood there and made sure that he swallowed them this time. He didn¡¯t seem to care that I watched him. He had given up on telling me off even without trying; that was his new habit.


    I finally retired to bed. My eyelids felt heavy. It had been a whole day in my head pondering on what could be wrong with Kieran.


    I jerked off the bed as I heard a loud groan. I took a nce at the clock, it was midnight.


    Sitting up in bed, my heart pounding, I looked around.? Kieran was thrashing in his sleep, sweat clinging to his brow.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I called out, reaching over to shake his shoulder.? ¡°Wake up!? It¡¯s just a dream.¡±


    His eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath holding his heaving chest, as if he¡¯d been running for his life.? ¡°ra?¡±? He called put.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I pulled him into a tight embrace.? ¡°You¡¯re alright.? It was just a nightmare.¡±


    He clung to me for a long moment, his body trembling.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. It¡¯s just a dream,¡± I kept repeating the words. Running my hands gently on his back.


    Slowly, his breathing became calm and he sank back against the pillows. But I could still see the fear in his eyes.


    ¡°What was it? What was the dream about?¡±? I whispered.


    He hesitated; his eyes moved around the room for a moment beforending on me. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t remember,¡± he mumbled.


    But I knew that he wasn¡¯t exactly telling the truth. I could hear it in his voice. He remembered.? Whatever it was, it had shaken him leaving him with so much terror.


    I knew pushing wouldn¡¯t help.? Right now, he neededfort. So, I held him close, stroking his hair in a soothing rhythm. Sleep eluded eyes. My mind did not rest. It reyed the events that had been happening. The pills, Kieran¡¯s withdrawn behavior, and now this terrifying nightmare.? It was all so unlike him.


    The man I knew was strong and rarely let his guard down.? Now, he seemed vulnerable, almost scared.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Kieran had always been there for me through all the times of my life and now, it was time for me to do the same for me. It was selfish of me to think that he shouldn¡¯t be vulnerable or feel scared sometimes. His warmness in my arms put a smile on my lips. At least he was here with me.


    As the first rays of dawn crept through the window, my eyelids finally felt the weight of exhaustion and I finally drifted off to sleep.


    The next morning, Kieran seemed somewhat better.? The fear in his eyes had gone. Like it never happened. Although he ate breakfast in silence, picking at his food and somewhat avoiding my gaze. I still didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°I need to go to address the soldiers today,¡±? he finally said, pushing himself away from the table.? ¡°There are matters that require my attention.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just¡­ be careful,¡± I mumbled.


    He nodded and walked out leaving me all alone in my thoughts. My mind drifted back to what had happened at night, I still heard his voice as he wailed. He was so terrified. I could feel it. He conquered. It was over. I hoped so.


    But I was wrong, the following days were just the same. Kieran drew further to himself. He slept restlessly. Every night I would hear the same scream from being haunted by nightmares that left him pale and trembling.? And whenever I tried to ask about them, he would just shut me off. His eyes had be hardened with anger that I didn¡¯t recognize.


    Even the doctors had no idea. PTSD was all that made sense to me.


    But I knew there was something more. And I was determined to get to the bottom of it.? I just wasn¡¯t sure how.

 CHAPTER 138: KIERAN’S NIGHTMARES; A NEW BEING

    My eyes turned as I sat up in bed. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and nausea churned in my stomach. It was strange. I hadn¡¯t been particrly stressed the previous day, and I definitely hadn¡¯t done anything that could make me feel the way that I felt. In fact, I¡¯d been in bed earlier than usual. The exhaustion I felt was even more than when I had gone to bed.


    However, there had been endless guests, well-wishers, and some dignitaries who¡¯de to congratte us on Kieran¡¯s recovery. But I had done nothing other than smile and exchange pleasantries. The food and the drinks had only nauseated me and so there was no way that I should be feeling the way I already felt.


    Pushing myself up, I noticed the space beside me. It had be a familiar sight these past few weeks. Kieran could be anywhere; he had always liked his work. Maybe in his study or with his soldiers for an early morning drill.


    My stomach rolled again as I swung my legs over the edge. The room seemed to tilt slightly, and for a moment, I grabbed the bedside drawer squeezing my eyes shut until the dizziness reduced.


    Suddenly, a scream came from the bathroom


    My heart hammered against my chest and I scrambled to my feet. Suddenly forgetting how I had previously felt.


    I heard the scream again it was closer this time. Without a second thought, I threw on my robe and flung open the bathroom door.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kieran, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I called out and he turned to me. His eyes were broadened and his hair was out of ce.


    ¡°ra! Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± I demanded. The scent of burnt electronics came from the shower stall, making my nose wrinkle.


    He pointed a shaky finger at the showerhead. ¡°The light,¡± he stammered. ¡°There were shes of light. Strange symbols appeared on the wall!¡±


    I followed his gaze, but all I saw was a perfectly ordinary showerhead, dripping with water. The only light I saw came from the bulbs in the bathroom and the window.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I said gently, ¡°There¡¯s nothing there. You must be¡­¡±


    He cut me off,? ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me I¡¯m imagining things. I saw them, ra, it was real!¡±


    ¡°Real?¡± I scoffed. ¡°This is real, Kieran! Me, here, worried sick because you¡¯re screaming about some light in the shower. We can¡¯t keep going on like this.¡±


    ¡°Like what? This isn¡¯t some tantrum I can just snap out of, ra, I¡¯m not myselftely. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± I threw my arms up. ¡°All I see is a shadow of the man I fell in love with. The strong, stoic Kieran who wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid at a flickering lightbulb.¡±


    He squeezed his face as if I¡¯d pped him.? The anger drained out of him and was suddenly reced by sadness.


    For a moment, we just stared at each other. No one said anything. My bones were weary and feeble. At that point, I just needed to rest and not have any more drama.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to you, Kieran,¡± I said finally. ¡°But I can¡¯t keep ying therapist while you push me away with these constant acts of yours. I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Tears swelled up in my eyes. Without another word, I turned and walked out, mming the door shut behind me with so much force that it echoed through the empty hallway.


    As soon as I got to the sitting room, I copsed on the longue burying my face in my hands. I didn¡¯t know what else to do or how else to make Kieran feel normal again. I wish I could take away the nightmares and give him all the strength that was left in me. I just need him to be Kieran again.


    The stress of the past few days had taken its toll on me leaving me drained and emotionally worn out.


    I was exhausted. I rested my head against the ufortable dining table, the half-eaten burger abandoned on the table before me.


    I felt a touch on my shoulder. I looked up to the face that peered down on it. It was Kieran. He held a small bouquet of lilies.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, babe,¡± he said softly.


    I widened my eyes. He looked different from who he had been a few weeks past into someone new. His hair was well-styled. And above all, he looked genuinely remorseful. He was different from the cold, distant man he¡¯d beentely.


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± I mumbled; my eyes felt heavy.


    ¡°For everything,¡± he replied, his gaze searching mine.? ¡°For the way I¡¯ve been acting, for pushing you away.? There¡¯s no excuse for it, and I know I¡¯ve been awful.¡±


    The apology caught me off guard.? For weeks, I¡¯d longed to hear him acknowledge his behavior, and now that he had. It was good.


    ¡°Awful?¡± I echoed, ¡°Kieran, you¡¯ve been a stranger.? Screaming about strange flickering lights, acting paranoid¡­ it¡¯s not like you.¡±


    He winced at my words, ¡°I know.¡±


    I wanted us to talk more but the heaviness in my eyes did not go away. I lost my strength to speak all I wanted was to go back to sleep.


    ¡°We can talk about itter,¡± I said finally.? ¡°Right now, I¡¯m just¡­ tired.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but please, ra, believe me when I say I¡¯ll make things right.? I won¡¯t shut you out anymore.¡±


    At least, it was a starting point for us again.


    I signed and took the lilies from his hand.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled, ¡°Come here.¡±


    As I pulled him into a hug, a sudden feeling came over me. My stomach turned violently, and I moved away from him quickly holding my hands over my mouth to let whatever wasing from my stomach at least get to my hand first before letting the entire pce know what I had munched on, the flowers tumbled to the floor as I fled for my chambers.


    ¡°ra?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice called out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I stumbled towards the bathroom, and the urge to vomit came strong.


    As soon as I got to the sink, I let myself and emptied the contents of my stomach into the sink. Seeing what had just happened troubled me.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten anything bad or anything I was allergic to. So why the sudden sickness?


    Just then, I heard Kieran¡¯s voice on the other side of the door.? ¡°ra? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.? ¡°Just a little¡­ indigestion.? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± His voice sounded strained, ¡°I can get you some water, or¡­¡±


    ¡°No, really,¡± I insisted, forcing a lightness into my voice that I didn¡¯t quite feel.? ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.? Just need a minute.¡±


    Instead, I walked to the door and locked it just in case the thought ofing in somehow got to Kieran¡¯s mind.


    I leaned against the cool ceramic sink. My breathing had be intensified from running and vomiting.


    What was happening to me?? The sudden sickness, ? Could I be¡­?


    No¡­no¡­it can¡¯t possibly be that. I pushed the thought away just as quickly as it arrived.? The memory of my first pregnancy, the grief of the loss.


    It still hurt like a fresh wound in my heart. And it was too much to bear.


    I wiped out the tears that rolled down my cheek keeping my mind on what was necessary. Finding out.


    By the time I felt the bathroom, Kieran had already stepped out. I grabbed my jacket and the keys to my car as I could before he would return. Stealing a nce at the clock  it was almost closing time  I grabbed my purse and rushed out.


    The pharmacy across the street was small. But it had what I needed.? Thankfully, they were still open.? Under the watchful eye of the bored-looking pharmacist, I hastily grabbed a pregnancy test kit and headed back to the counter for payment.


    ¡°Expecting?¡± the pharmacist said.


    I managed a dry smile and hoped that he would not ask another question that would suddenly ce a name to my face, as Queen. That would be loud and Kieran would know luckily, he didn¡¯t.


    Back in the privacy of my chambers, I followed the instructions on the pack. My hands trembled as I tried to open it.


    The wait felt longer than any other. I just wanted it to be over with.


    Then, there it was. Two faint pink lines. Positive.


    I smiled, Kieran would have an heir and I would finally have a child but then, the smile dried up. And all the many that it¡¯s popped up in my head again.


    Just then, a knock on the door startled me.? The pregnancy test fell across the floor,nding face down on the tiles.


    ¡°ra? Are you sure you¡¯re alright? I heard¡­¡±


    My heart began to pound.? How could I tell him?? The emotions were still too raw, the fear of losing him all over again was strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­ tired.? Go back to your work.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± He hesitated.? ¡°Can Ie in?¡±


    My breath hitched. He couldn¡¯t see the test, not yet.? Not until I had time to process this, to understand what it meant for us and me.


    ¡°No,¡± I blurted out, ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.? Please, just go.¡±


    He said nothing.


    After a minute, I heard his footsteps recede down the hallway. I sank to the floor and wrapped my arms around myself.


    Even if I knew that Kieran wanted this, I still couldn¡¯t tell how he would feel about it. What emotions woulde first and which wouldeter?

 CHAPTER 139: THE MARK

    Kieran didn¡¯t have the nightmares again for a while but on this very day, I heard his muffled scream in my sleep and jumped out of bed. This time, the sound was different. More intense than I hadn¡¯t heard before.


    I jumped upright, reaching across the space beside me, and shook Kieran.


    ¡°Kieran! Wake up!¡±? His eyes snapped open. They were wide with terror. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as he scrambled around.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°ra?¡± He said in between his breath? He clung to me in a hug. I felt his body trembling.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, stroking his hair in a calming rhythm.? ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. You¡¯re safe.¡±


    He clung to me for a long moment, his breaths gradually reducing.? Finally, he pulled back, his gaze flitting around the dark room beforending on me.


    ¡°Another nightmare?¡± I asked gently.


    He nodded, ¡°This one¡­ it was different.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Different? What happened?¡±


    For the first time since his nightmares started, he seemed willing to talk about his dreams.


    ¡°Different how?¡± I pressed.


    He hesitated for a bit.? But then? I kept stroking his arm.


    ¡°I¡­ I remember parts of it,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°You do? Tell me what you remember.¡±


    He took a deep breath.? ¡°I was in my study,¡± he began, ¡°Reading a book¡­ an old, leather-bound volume.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he continued, ¡°Suddenly, a hand reached out from the page, right out of the book.? It was skeletal, cold, and¡­ powerful.? It grabbed my arm, and I felt this searing pain¡­¡±


    He trailed off, moving his gaze to his hand.? My breath hitched as I saw it  a faint, red burn mark on the skin on his forearm, right where he said the dream hand had grabbed him.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I stared at it wide-eyed. Couldn¡¯t have believed that an arm could reach out from a dream and harm someone. This wasn¡¯t a regr nightmare.? This was something more and the burn mark was proof of that.


    ¡°Kieran, there¡¯s a mark¡­ on your arm.? It¡¯s the same ce¡­¡±


    He looked at the mark, his eyes widening in shock.? ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s impossible,¡± he stammered.? ¡°It was just a dream.¡±


    I could hear the terror in his voice. But the evidence was right there, staring us in the face. It was clear that it wasn¡¯t just a dream. It was something dark.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± I said, ¡°This is really bad.¡±


    He looked at me, ¡°Yes, this is a dire situation. I need help, and I need it fast.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I held him closely, ¡°it¡¯s alright. We are in this together,¡± I said, running my hand through his hair.


    ¡°What are we going to do about this? It¡¯s not like some knife fight that eerily can do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you ate right. This is spiritual. Something like a witch can handle. Yes, Nikkei, the pce witch, we should consult her immediately when it¡¯s sunrise,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you sure she would know what this means?¡±


    ¡°If there is anyone that would know anything about this, it is Nikkei.? She is the only one that we can trust right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± he said.


    I left the bed and got a piece of clothing from the closet.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±


    ¡°Your arm. You wouldn¡¯t want the people to know about this at least not yet.¡±


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get to the point where I would have to let them know,¡± he said, stretching out his hand and I wrapped the cloth around it.


    By the time it was dawn, I sent a message through the pce guards for Nikkei.


    As Nikkei examined Kieran, she had an unsatisfied look on her face. ¡°This¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem like a typical burn,¡± she mumbled, tracing the mark with her finger.


    ¡°Just as I had thought,¡± I said, shaking my head. I looked at Kieran¡¯s pale face.


    ¡°This is magic.? Dark magic.¡±


    Nikkei¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°The only witches who know such magic are a group of witches called the wisest.¡±


    ¡°The wisest?¡± I wanted to be sure if I had heard correctly.


    ¡°Yes, they have a coven called the Coven of the Whispering Woods. They are a group of witches that possess great power, both light and dark. If? anyone could help Kieran, it would be them.¡±


    ¡°And where do we find these witches?¡±


    She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down the location of the witches.


    ¡°Take this,¡± she said, handing the note to Kieran,


    ¡°¡­ they live near Hindering Falls, somewhere in the Old Wilds. It¡¯s a dangerous journey, but it¡¯s your only shot of getting the answers to what you need.¡±


    Kieran took the note.


    ¡°The Wisest. Legends say they are powerful but also unpredictable.? Are you sure this is wise?¡± He asked


    ¡°We don¡¯t have many options, do we?¡± I couldn¡¯t dwell in fear. Not at a time like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long journey to this ce. And the witches do not like to be disturbed with much presence. So, I would suggest you two go alone.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s prepare,¡± I said.


    The fear and uncertainty didn¡¯tpletely leave but I was determined to get it done. If meeting with some witches was what could save Kieran, then I was up for it.


    The next day, we gathered some supplies, maps, and some food and water. Nikkei had been very specific about going alone. So, there wasn¡¯t any need to bring the guards and the maids.


    Kieran squeezed my hand ¡°We¡¯ll be okay,¡± he murmured, ¡°We have to be.¡±


    We walked into the Wilds which was the beginning of the trip. It was a path through the forest. We couldn¡¯t quite feel the rays of the sun as the leaves of the forest trees shaded us.


    The air smelled of decaying woods and dampened earth as we walked on. The birds hovering high up in the trees. As soon as we walked out of the forest, the sunlight burned our heads and I began to miss the shade of the leaves.


    ¡°There it is,¡± I pointed at the modern building structure that stood firm just ahead of us.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kieran gasped.


    It wasn¡¯t quite what we had expected when Nikkei spoke about the witches Coven.


    It looked more like a ss house surrounded by a greenndscape. Pots of brightly colored flower petals and green vines of hanging herbs adorned the outside walls. Nikkei mentioned a lot of things but somehow omitted that the witches were the modernization of natural magic. Which thrilled me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Kieran held my hand.


    As soon as we got to the door, there was a te beside the door with inscribed words that amazed us.


    ¡°Our distinguished King and Queen. We have been expecting you.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I? pushed the heavy wooden door open.


    The wave of air that rushed to our faces carried a faint scent ofvender and jasmine.


    Inside, the living room was warm, rays of sunlight streamed through the windows.


    Three women sat on the couches arranged around a low coffee table.

 CHAPTER 140: THE THREE WITCHES

    I stared in awe as I looked at thedies all engrossed in their devices. They were nothing I expected, certainly not the old, giggling hags I had pictured in my head. These women were the perfect definition of calm power.? The eldest seated by the edge of the longest couch had pure white braids that fell on her shoulders. She wore a flowing turquoise robe adorned with silver embroidery.? Her dark eyes were sharp and hidden behind the sses. She helped her gaze with the phone in her hands. Seemed to be amused by what she was looking at.


    Seated beside her was a woman with red hair. Her face was etched with fine lines. She looked a bit younger than the firstdy but not as young as the third one. She wore a simple linen green dress, a silver ne glinting around her neck. Opposite them was a young woman, her short ck hair streaked with vibrant purple, leaning back in her chair. She had a yful smile on her lips. Her attire was the most casual  a pair of ripped jeans and a band t-shirt with a skull and the words ¡°Don¡¯t Mess With the Ladies¡± written in it.


    Despite their outward differences, they didn¡¯t look different to me.


    ¡°Wee, travelers,¡± the woman with red hair greeted us, her voice warm and weing.? ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±


    Kieran and I exchanged surprised nces.? ¡°You have?¡± he asked.


    Well, that exined what we had seen by the door.


    The eldest woman, who I presumed was the leader, chuckled.


    ¡°The whispers of the forest carry far, young king,¡± she said. ¡°We felt your distress, the darkness clinging to you like a shroud.¡±


    Before I could say something, the woman with red hair spoke again, her gaze settled on me.? ¡°And congrattions on the uing arrival,¡± she added.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    My cheeks flushed as they all looked at me including Kieran.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I mumbled, I should have expected that. The secret that I had carefully guarded for weeks, was out in the open.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    Avoiding Kieran¡¯s gaze.


    Kieran cleared his throat, drawing the conversation back to the reason for our visit.? ¡°We¡­ we need your help,¡± he began.


    ¡°Mother we should offer them a seat first,¡± the youngest of the witches said. She had a stable smile across her lips. Then she walked up to us, ¡°Here,¡± she took Kieran¡¯s hand ignoring mine, ¡°my name is Emaline,¡± she winked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kieran, nice to meet you Emaline,¡± Kieran responded.


    Did she just do that? Openly flirting with Kieran. I swallowed and followed them to the couch. Where we settled in and she returned to her seat. But for some strange reason, her eyes did not leave Kieran.


    ¡°So, what brings you to the Wilds?¡± The oldest of the witches asked.


    Kieran unwrapped the cloth around his arm, ¡°this did,¡± he showed them the mark.


    They looked at it keenly, ¡°what is your story?¡± They asked.


    ¡°It appeared after a dream. In the dream, an arm grabbed me and when I opened my eyes, I saw the mark on my arm.


    ¡°The connection curse,¡± the red-haired witch mumbled.


    ¡°What?¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what your mate suffers.¡±


    ¡°We know, Kieran,¡± she said gently.? ¡°We know why you are here.¡±


    My head snapped up.? ¡°You know?¡± I echoed, bewildered.


    The leader nodded.? ¡°The magic you used to save your husband, ra,¡± she began, ¡°It was a powerful act of love, but it also came with a price.¡±


    My heart hammered.? A price?? What did she mean?


    ¡°You bound Kieran to you,¡± the woman continued, her voice filled with a quiet understanding.? ¡°You imbued him with a part of your power, creating a temporary bond that pulled him back from the brink.? But without knowing, you also made him a conduit for the souls you imed.¡±


    The cold gripped me.


    ¡°The souls I¡¯d imed during the fight with the vampires, I remember now they are the source of Kieran¡¯s nightmares, the reason behind the darkness that clung to him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, child,¡± she said, her voice softer now.? ¡°You did what you had to do to save him.? But the magic of life and death is a delicate bnce.? Those souls are restless and vengeful, and are now drawn to Kieran, seeking vengeance for their untimely demise.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    The weight of her words crushed me.? In my desperation to save Kieran, I¡¯d doomed him.? Tears fell from my eyes, what had I done?


    The youngest with the purple streaks spoke up, her voice was surprisingly gentle.? ¡°Don¡¯t despair,¡± she said.? ¡°We can help.? But it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡±? Kieran said, moving forward.


    The leader smiled faintly.? ¡°Good.? First, we need to break the connection between you and these vengeful spirits.¡±? She reached into a pocket of her robe and pulled out a small, carved wooden box.? Opening it, she brought out an amulet made of silver and moonstone.


    ¡°This amulet will act as a shield.? It will deflect the attacks of the vengeful spirits and break the link you? created.¡±


    Kieran reached out and took the amulet, ¡°How do we use it?¡± he asked.


    The red-haired woman took over, ¡°The amulet needs to be charged with yourbined energy, your love for each other,¡± she said.? ¡°Focus on that love, visualize it as a bright light that surrounds you both, so it can push back the darkness.¡±


    Then she handed me a note, ¡°This is for the ritual. Say the words while channeling your love and weaving it into the amulet.? Hold your hands together. As you would say the words, the moonstone would glow and would only grow brighter with each passing moment.


    When the glow finally reached its peak. Then you know that the amulet is fully charged.¡±


    I nodded. She took the amulet and the three witches cast a spell and chanted some words to it.


    ¡± The amulet will protect you,¡± she said, handing it back to Kieran.? ¡°But remember, it¡¯s only a shield.? You need to find a way to appease the spirits, to offer them something they desire to find peace.¡±


    Kieran nodded.? ¡°We will,¡± he said.


    ¡°The spirits are bound to the book from which they reached out,¡± the red-haired woman added.? ¡°Perhaps within its pages lies a clue, a way to offer them what they seek.¡±


    We had a starting point, that was good enough.


    The journey wouldn¡¯t be easy, but at least we weren¡¯t facing this darkness alone.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    The leader smiled.? ¡°We all have a part to y, child,¡± she said.? ¡°Now, go.? May your love be your shield, and may you find the answers you seek.¡±


    We thanked the witches once more and made to leave. But something caught my eye, the youngest witch, Emaline, her smile drifted away as I held Kieran¡¯s hands and led him out. I couldn¡¯t quite tell why she looked at him the way that she did.


    As soon as we stepped outside, I felt the weight of their eyes leaving us and finally, we were alone again.


    At least physically.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± I asked Kieran.


    ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°The third witch.¡±


    ¡°And what about her?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to sound paranoid.

 CHAPTER 141: WHAT COULD BE WRONG?

    ¡°So, what do you think? Do you think it would work?¡±


    ¡°Do you doubt the witches?¡± His voice was cold. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked and he nodded. He was far from being okay and somehow, I knew why. The journey back to the pce was quiet. I didn¡¯t want to say anything to Kieran that could hurt him.


    As soon as we got to his chambers, Kieran shut the door and turned to me. His jaw was tight and stiff.


    ¡°Why, ra? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    I felt the anger in his voice. My throat became dry making it difficult to speak. ¡°I¡­ I was scared,¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Scared?¡± he echoed, ¡°Scared of what? That I wouldn¡¯t be happy? That I wouldn¡¯t want this?¡±


    Tears swelled up in his eyes as he looked at me. I had not seen Kieran in such a mood before.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that,¡± I sobbed, ¡°It was everything. You were barely hanging on and with the nightmares¡­ I was terrified.¡±


    ¡°Terrified of what?¡± he pressed on, ¡°That you¡¯d lose me again? That we wouldn¡¯t have a future?¡±


    His words struck hard on me. The fear of losing him, of losing another piece of my heart, had been so hard to bear. But I hadn¡¯t meant to shut him out or keep the news from him. It just didn¡¯t feel like the right time to let him know about it. I thought that there would be a perfect time. When it would suddenly feel right I would finally break the news to him.? But it didn¡¯t turn out the way I nned. I understood his anger and maybe his fear. But I felt that with all that was going on in our lives, especially his, he wasn¡¯t ready.


    ¡°I just wanted to protect you, from the burden, from the fear¡­¡±


    Kieran sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumped forward slightly. ¡°But you did the opposite, ra, you kept me in the dark and denied me the chance to share this happiness with you. You kept the best news ever from me that I had to get the news of my unborn child from the lips of some strange witches.¡±


    My heart ached at the hurt in his voice. ¡°It wasn¡¯t meant to be like this. I was going to tell eventually,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± he snapped, ¡°just stop.¡±


    ¡°Kieran please.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter,¡± he said, ¡°Right now, I need some time alone.¡±


    He turned away; his shoulders were still as he walked away. As I watched him go, my heart felt heavier. I wanted to go after him so we could have the talk but he needed his space and I had to respect that.


    The joy of returning home and finally getting the solution for all the nightmares drained off. I was happy about the test but not as excited as I should have been. Even when I shut my eyes, I would see Kieran¡¯s back walking out in me. It was like I was haunted by his absence. I wanted to talk to him, to see him. But going after him was not a top option. Iid back on the bed with my eyes shut. The moment reyed in my head. From the point when the witch had said the words about the pregnancy, the look in his eyes when I faced him. It was an admixture of joy and betrayal. And the more he stood closer to me, the more the joy turned to hate.


    I opened my eyes to the creaking of the door. It was Kieran he walked slowly towards me. I sat up from the bed but he got to me first before I could leave the bed and walk towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said sharply before he could even say anything, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep the news of our child from you. I¡­was stupid to think that you might¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± He held my hand, ¡°you don¡¯t have to say anything. I understand the reason for your hesitation.¡±


    ¡°I never really told you what happened to my first pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say the words for me to know that it was a traumatic experience for you. A world that you do not wish to live in. But ra, that world is gone. This is a new world. It was just the two of us but now, we have a little one on the way,¡± he chuckled.


    I ced his hand on my belly and his smile was priceless.


    ¡°I love you, ra,¡± he leaned in for a kiss.


    ¡°With this child, a lot has to change. I will not let all these troubles and conflictse upon this child. I will do everything in my power to protect you and our child. No more secrets ra. We are in this together.¡±


    I nodded and hugged him.


    The weeks went by and Kieran did not leave my side. We did everything together as King and Queen. And for once again, I could say there was peace. The nightmare had stopped as the witches had said that it would. I could never have wished for a better life. Every day, I felt the fetus growing in my womb. Sometimes, I felt scared again when I thought about the past but? Kieran made me think less about it. He had the doctors and nurses check me every day to make sure that I was fine.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    One evening I sat in the gardens feeling the cool evening breeze of the flowers, and a ravennded on the stone railing. Normally? I could have looked away but ck ravens weren¡¯t particrly a normal breed to be seen around the pce. I moved closer to it and found a small scroll attached to its leg. It had a strange seal- like a bird skull sketch with ck ink.


    The symbol looked very familiar. Like something I had seen many hands recently.


    As soon as I took the scroll from the raven, it flew back up into the sky and vanished into thin air. And just then, it struck me where I had seen the symbol- the witches Coven. Kieran and I had seen it by the door close to the part where we had seen that inscribed text.


    My stomach churned as I thought of what could be inside. We don¡¯t exactly get notes like that from witches. And Kieran was okay after what they had instructed. The reason for the scroll was still a mystery but there was only one way to find out.


    I untied the scroll and unfolded it; my heart pounded. It was a message from Emaline, the youngest member of the coven. Her words were cryptic, but the urgency of the note was clear.


    ¡°There is more,¡± she wrote. ¡°A piece of the ritual left iplete. I muste. Prepare yourselves for one final act.¡±


    I swallowed seeing those words. I thought it was all over. It felt so. An Iplete ritual? Did that mean the whispers and strange dreams of? Kieran weren¡¯t entirely gone?


    ¡°I need to go in,¡± I said to the maid standing beside me. The breeze of the garden suddenly felt too cold for my skin.

 CHAPTER 142:EMALINE

    By the time Kieran returned from his council meeting, it was alreadyte. But I had to tell him about the strange message.


    He entered the room, his gaze falling on the scroll clutched in my hand. ¡°What¡¯s that, ra?¡±


    I exhaled meeting his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s from Emaline,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why does that name sound familiar?¡±


    ¡°Because it is. It is the name of the third witch. The one that was much younger amongst the three.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I remember. What does it say?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s something else they need to do. A final ritual.¡±


    His face hardened ¡°¡­ Iplete?¡± Kieran repeated, ¡°Iplete? After everything we went through, after what you did, they¡¯re telling you it wasn¡¯t enough?¡±


    I could feel his anger rising.? But a part of me understood him. He had faced the nightmares and when he thinks that everything is finally okay, thises up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they haven¡¯t done,¡± I admitted, ¡°But Emaline ising. We¡¯ll know more then.¡±


    He exhaled and slumped to the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry whatever it is, the witch will get it done and we will go back to our lives we have nothing to worry about,¡± I said.


    The next few days, we awaited her arrival, Kieran always stayed back at the pce or came back earlier than usual so that he would not miss Emaline¡¯s visit.


    He remained withdrawn, as his anger for her dy simmered underneath his smiles.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± I asked walking closer to him. He shrugged, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be overwhelmed with thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? It seems like we have been waiting forever. Maybe it was a wrong message or location. Something doesn¡¯t just feel right,¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Hey, calm down,¡± I held his chin looking into his eyes, ¡°it¡¯s going to be alright, now breathe.¡±


    He sucked in the air and released slowly.


    ¡°There you go,¡± I smiled.


    The night Emaline arrived, the air felt a bit tensed up.? She was older than I remembered, even the concealer could not hide the lines on her face. I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something had happened. Just didn¡¯t know what. Her arrival reminded me of the burden I had ced on Kieran and the danger I had brought upon him.


    ¡°What is it, Emaline? What else needs to be done?¡±


    Emaline bowed her head slightly, ¡°Forgive me, King Kieran,¡± she said. ¡°The ritual¡­ it was meant to bind the souls to their realm, but¡­¡±


    She hesitated, moving her eyes to me and then Kieran. I braced myself for the weight of her words.


    ¡°There was aplication,¡± she continued. ¡°A part of your magic, Queen ra, became entangled with the life force during the ritual. Something that keeps the connection alive.¡±


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Kieran asked, ¡°Another draining ritual? Another sacrifice from ra?¡±


    Emaline shook her head. ¡°No, Your Majesty, this requires a different approach. A cleansing. But it will be a delicate process. It could weaken her further, perhaps it could? even take away her powers permanently.¡±


    Permanently? That wasn¡¯t the n.


    Kieran scoffed, he moved his eyes between I and Emaline.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t take away ra¡¯s powers. She is the chosen one. Her powers are an important part of her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the powers Kieran; I just want this over. No more nightmares, no more whispers. As long as you are safe¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this ra?¡±


    I nodded.


    I have never been sure about anything. All I wanted was to make sure that he was safe. The powers felt more like a curse anyway and it would be better if I did away with it. Maybe the people would feel safer without it around.


    ¡°The ritual will be performed tonight. It will require your cooperation and your focus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to do whatever it takes,¡± I said.


    Emaline led us to a hidden chamber within the pce. As soon as I stepped into the room, I felt the magical energy in it. As Emaline began the ritual, it was different from the one that we had been instructed to do by the other witches. It was more intimate and focused more on channeling my power to a mixture that she had prepared from roots and herbs.


    At first, it felt normal and more energized but then, as I went on, I felt strained.


    Kieran stood beside me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep going,¡± I cried out.


    The intense hotness of my palm overwhelmed me.


    ¡°Hold on a little longer you are almost there. If you stop now, you will ruin the entire process. This is the only way that you canpletely stop all this going on with the King and the kingdom and it is only you that can do it.¡±


    Her words gave me the zeal to continue and Kieran gave me strength. I pushed on shutting my eyes. Then finally, I gasped as a burst of white light erupted and the connection was severed.


    I gasped letting go of my hands I slumped against Kieran. He held me close.


    Emaline took up the potion mad handed it to Kieran. Drink up. He grabbed it and emptied the potion down his throat.


    ¡°You are strong, you didn¡¯t lose your powers. You are indeed the chosen one,¡± Emaline said.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±


    Emaline walked up to us with a weary smile gracing her lips. ¡°The whispers are gone so are the fragments.¡±


    We both sighed and smiled at each other.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Performing the ritual had taken a toll on me leaving me totally drained but the thought that Kieran was safe and the nightmares wouldn¡¯t torment him anymore relieved me.


    As Emaline prepared to leave, she turned to me, ¡°Your majesty, your bravery and sacrifice have saved your king. Remember, true strength lies not in magic alone, but in the love that binds you.¡±


    She walked out leaving me in my own thoughts.


    Kieran helped me to my feet he put his hands around me as we followed behind.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Thank you, for everything Emaline,¡± Kieran said.


    She bowed her head, ¡°May your child bring joy and light to your kingdom.¡±


    With those words, she vanished into the night. leaving behind aforting silence. Kieran turned to me.


    ¡°ra, I¡¯m so d that I get to do this with you. To be here with you and share this very moment.¡±


    He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°With everything that has been going on ever since you came into my life, had been a preparation for this very moment. You made me see life clearly.¡±


    I chucked.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You have said that before,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, I will keep saying it because it is true. This isn¡¯t just some make-up lines to make you happy. This is the truth. We¡¯ll face everything together, alright? You, me, and our little one.¡±


    He ced a hand on my stomach, ¡°We¡¯ll be a family.¡±

 CHAPTER 143: SOMETHING IS WRONG

    My heart skipped and uneasiness settled over me as I watched Kieran stare nkly at the wall. It wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened in the past few days. The spark in his eyes, the one that had returned after our visit to the Coven, seemed to be dimming again.


    ¡°Kieran?¡± I called out setting the book aside I¡¯d been pretending to read.? But his gaze remained fixed on the wall. He seemed not to have heard me call.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I called out again this time it was a bit louder.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he mumbled, finally taking his eyes away from the wall. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked. He blinked and looked at me.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± he said, with a stretched-out smile on his lips.


    ¡°What happened? You were just staring at the wall. You didn¡¯t even hear me the first time that I called.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so sorry about that. I¡¯m okay, just¡­ lost in thought.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t convinced.? The look in his eyes seemed vacant and the way he seemed to be fading in and out, thrilled me. I couldn¡¯t imagine what was wrong but he acted like when the nightmares started. The ritual of the witches that was performed was supposed to break the connection between Kieran and those vengeful spirits, yet here we were and Kieran seemed to not be getting any better.


    I tightened my eyes for a minute allowing my thoughts to sink in, perhaps maybe I would be able to find some answers. We needed answers, and fast. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Kieran being consumed by his nightmares. They drained him away slowly and the worst of it was that I had yed a part in it.


    ¡°ra,¡± he called out to me.


    I snapped out of my thoughts and faced him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you are still thinking about that?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then what is on your mind? You suddenly seem a bit distanced too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come on, you know it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°I saw you staring nkly at the wall again and it just reminded me of the nightmares again.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°You worry too much ra. I told you, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I smiled perhaps he just had a lot on his mind one of which was him bing a new dad. I leaned closer to him still smiling. I hoped that he was right. But I was wrong.


    Later at night, a scream pulled me from a dreamless sleep. I jump upright holding my chest as my heart pounded. Kieran.? He was having another nightmare.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I cried out, scrambling out of bed, and rushing to his side.? He thrashed on the mattress; his eyes tightened. His lips moved like he was saying words that I couldn¡¯t quite grab.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I shook him awake. But he would open his eyes. Sweat dripped down his face. I called his name repeatedly, it took a while, but eventually, his eyes fluttered open and he jumped off the bed.


    ¡°ra? What happened?¡± He gasped. Breathing profusely.


    I sighed, ¡°You were having another nightmare,¡± I pulled him into a tight embrace.? He clung to me for a long moment, his body trembling slightly.


    ¡°The ritual¡­ it didn¡¯t work, did it?¡± he mumbled into my shoulder.


    My heart ached for him.? The hope we¡¯d had after the ritual the belief that the nightmares were over shattered. I wiped away the tears that streamed down his face, forcing a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out. We¡¯ll go back to the Coven.? They¡¯ll help us. Emaline, yes, we can call her back. She seemed to know what she was doing right?¡±


    He nodded.


    The next morning, we sent a message to Emaline. She arrived within the hour.


    ¡°This is terrible, the nightmares¡­ they haven¡¯t stopped?¡± She asked.


    Kieran shook his head, ¡°No.? They¡¯re just as bad, maybe worse.¡±


    She knitted her brows ¡°There must be something we¡¯re missing.¡±


    ¡°Is it something you can handle? I was thinking that we should all go back to the coven. Maybe the other witches can help,¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°No, Emaline,¡± responded sharply.


    ¡°But why? They are older, they would understand the situation at hand.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about them, they sent me here remember?¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She looked at me, ¡°It¡¯s about you choosing to save him.¡±


    ¡°What choice again are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea of how we can finally end? this torment for good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Emaline leaned forward, ¡°There¡¯s a more powerful ritual,¡± she said in a low tone, ¡°One that can finally end the connectionpletely.? But it requires a deeper level of¡­mitment.¡±


    Kieran and I exchanged a nce. We were desperate, willing to try anything to free him from the clutches of these nightmares.


    ¡°What kind ofmitment?¡± Kieran asked.


    Emaline¡¯s lips curved into a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.? ¡°Just trust me,¡± she said, ¡°This ritual will take away all the pain, the fear¡­ everything.? It will leave him¡­ whole again.¡±


    The way she lingered on the word ¡°whole¡± made me wonder but I waved the thoughts out.


    Something was unsettling about the way she spoke. Like she carefully chose her words.


    One time, I had caught her staring at Kieran lustfully and as usual I had waved it out. Kieran was the King and a very fine man that even the witches affirmed to so she could stare, I thought.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±


    Emaline¡¯s smile widened, this time, her smile was real.


    ¡°Excellent, then let¡¯s begin the preparations.¡±


    Over the next few days, Emaline became a constant presence in our lives. Sometimes she would spend days in the library. ording to her, the ritual was a unique one that needed an amount of concentration and knowledge. She was scoured the library muttering under her breath as she flipped through dusty books. I had the maids follow her just in case she needed anything but everything, she would send them back to me.


    ¡°Hey, Emaline,¡± I called out one evening as she walked out of the library.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± she turned to me with a pike of books in her grip.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d meet you here.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to do anything for you, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. You¡¯ve done more than enough for us. But I keep wondering why you sent the maids away. They are supposed to help you around the pce. Like, carry things for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for your kind gesture, ra but I¡¯m good. This ritual process is as delicate as the ritual itself and it doesn¡¯t require so many presences. Don¡¯t worry Your Majesty, I¡¯ll carry my burden because the oue of this ritual is very dear to me as it is to you,¡± she smiled, bowed, and walked out.


    Ever since she arrived, she had taken the preparations of the ritual very seriously and I had to respect her desire.


    As the day of the ritual drew near, she gathered strange ingredients  vials of shiny liquids, herbs, and feathers from unknown birds.


    On a cool evening, while heading back to my chamber as saw Kieran in the training room. I heard voicesing from a corner as I walked down the hallway.? Emaline, I couldn¡¯t have missed her tiny voice but she wasn¡¯t alone she seemed to speaking with someone. I leaned close to the wall but I still couldn¡¯t see who she was talking to. It was like she wasmuning with someone or something that only she could see.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost ready, soon, you¡¯ll be back with me, my love,¡± she whispered chuckling.


    What the hell was going on? I froze.


    I strained to hear the response, but the other voice remained muffled.


    Emaline¡¯s words echoed in my mind  ¡°You¡¯ll be back with me.¡±? Who was she talking to?? And what did she mean by ¡°back¡±?? And just then it dawned on me. It wasn¡¯t meant to free Kieran from the nightmares, it was something more.


    Suddenly, the way Emaline lingered on the word ¡°whole¡± made perfect sense.? She wasn¡¯t trying to heal Kieran; she was trying to use him as a vessel, a body to bring back someone else perhaps someone she had lost.


    It all made perfect sense now, from the way she had looked at Kieran when she had first seen him up to the very moment, she decided to help us but ended up bringing the nightmares back so that she would be called to perform a ritual.


    Kieran was trusting Emaline blindly, unaware of the darkness that lurked beneath her eyes.


    I knew that I had to stop the ritual and warn him before it was toote.? But I just didn¡¯t know how I would convince him of my suspicions without sounding paranoid, especially after he¡¯d already agreed to the ritual.


    My heart raced.? I knew I had to act fast before it was toote.

 CHAPTER 144: MY LITTLE TRIP

    I thought about it for days, I had to act fast. As the days went by, Emaline¡¯s intentions became clearer than ever, and Kieran was walking right into her trap.? Telling him directly was a gamble, one I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d believe.? So, I needed a n.


    The only solution I could think of was to return to the Coven.? They were the only ones who could tell me what I needed to know.


    ¡°Where are you going to? You are all dressed up.¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°For ante-natal babe, I¡¯m still pregnant,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I know darling. You look gorgeous,¡± he pecked my cheek, ¡°maybe I cane with you.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh no, I thought you said you had a meeting. I do not want to drag you away from that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as important as you and my child.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back before you know it. The head maid will take me.¡±


    But I left the pce without the knowledge of anyone as I headed into the Wilds.


    Every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig sent my heart hammering against my chest. But the thought of Kieran¡¯s safety pushed me forward.


    Finally, the familiar clearing came into view, the modern structure standing there.


    I pushed open the wooden door as usual, they were aware of mying as the forest might have told them.


    The witches were seated in the same arrangement as before.


    ¡°Greeting our queen. What troubles you?¡±


    ¡°Kieran the King, his nightmare returned.¡±


    The red-haired witch turned sharply to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. How did it return? Did you doubt the reversal ritual?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything but Emaline did. And now she is at the pce preparing for a final ritual that she ims would end everything but I think there is something more attached to it.¡±


    ¡°Emaline, what is she doing at the pce?¡±


    I looked at them, ¡°she imed that she had been sent by her mothers to help the king. Did you not send her to the pce?¡±


    ¡°We banished Emaline from this coven months ago for practicing forbidden magic, for meddling with the bnce of life and death.¡±


    My jaw dropped.? ¡°Banished? Oh, my goodness, then what is she doing at the pce? She¡­ she lied to us all,¡± I stammered, ¡°The ritual¡­ it¡¯s not to save the King.? It¡¯s to¡­¡±


    The leader didn¡¯t need me to finish the sentence.


    ¡°She wants to use Kieran as a vessel to bring back someone she¡¯s lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I was right it was just as I had thought.


    Time was running out.? I had to get back to Kieran, to warn him before it was toote.


    ¡°Thank you. I need to get back¡­ I need to tell him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you. But hurry, Emaline won¡¯t waste any time.¡±


    I hurried back through the forest with Kieran in my mind. Emaline might have started the ritual. The thought of losing Kieran to some witch made me wish I could fly. As soon as I got to the pce. I rushed towards Kieran¡¯s chambers, my heart beating faster than I could imagine. But as I flung open the door, my head spanned. The room was empty.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I screamed, my voice echoing through the empty room.? There was no answer. Where was he?? What had happened? I thought.


    Suddenly, a heavy blow struck the back of my head and I fell to the ground. My vision was blurry but I could see her looking down at me.


    By the time I opened my eyes again, my wrists were bound tightly behind my back, and a gag around my mouth. I panicked. I was locked in a small, bare room. With just one window.


    The gag muffled my screams as I desperately strained against my restraints.


    Tears my eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell where I was or if Kieran was still out there.


    The wooden door creaked open, and Emaline stepped into the room. She smirked.


    ¡°ra, what a mess you¡¯ve gotten yourself into.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what have you done to Kieran?¡± I growled; my voice muffled by the gag.


    Emaline tilted her head.


    ¡°Oh, your precious Kieran. He¡¯s just fine¡­ for now.? But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be reunited very soon.¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Preparing for our little ceremony,¡± she replied, ¡°The one that will bring him back to the light¡­ and bring someone else back to me.¡±


    I writhed against my restraints, as the urge to reach out and strangle her with my bare hands overwhelmed me.


    Emaline¡¯s smile faltered slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t struggle, dear,¡± she said, ¡°It won¡¯t do you any good.¡±


    She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a purple liquid.? My eyes widened. The ritual.? She was going to start it without me.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, tears streaming down my face.? ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    Emaline ignored me,? ¡°Silence,¡± she said walking towards the door.? ¡°The time hase.¡±


    She shut the doors as she walked out.


    I fell to the ground again breathing slowly. I couldn¡¯t let her win. She was still with the vial which meant that Kieran was still alive and there was time to save him.? I wouldn¡¯t let her win.? There had to be a way out of this.


    I looked around the room and my eyes fell on a broken pottery lying by the wall.


    Focusing all my energy, I strained against the ropes binding my wrists. My muscles burned as I plunged forward and grabbed the piece. I began slowly and steadily seeing the edge of the broken pottery on the rope.


    I heard heavy footsteps outside,? Emaline wasing back.? I had to work fast.


    Finally, with an extra tear, the rope came loose.? I ripped off the gag from my mouth, gasping for air.


    Ever since I was banished from mynd, I had developed a swift skill from unlocking doors even with a piece of pottery shard, and in a bit, I was out.


    Emaline had taken Kieran into the chamber. With a deep breath, I rushed towards the door but it was locked. I had to find a way in and stop her.? Pushing open the door, I stepped into the chamber.


    I stumbled on my step as soon as I walked in. There it was in the middle of a pentagram drawn in glowing runes. Her eyes were shut, she couldn¡¯t have cared that I had stepped in if she knew. She was chanting in ancient words and her voice rose in every passing second.


    In the middle of the pentagram, Kierany strapped to a stone altar.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I heard the quaver in my voice. But he did not respond. His eyes were shut but I could see his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.


    ¡°Stop what you are doing,¡± I said moving towards Emaline but she was far gone in what she was doing. I didn¡¯t know what exactly to do next. She took up the vial containing the purple liquid and poured it into the heart of the pentagram.


    It sparked letting out a re which rose into the room with a mist that filled the air with a choking smell. My eyes began to feel hot from taking in too much of whatever it was.


    With each word she chanted the symbols on the floor glowed brighter, casting a bright light in the room.


    I retraced my steps watching the lights increase.? I couldn¡¯t let her finish this ritual. I shut my eyes for a second, the lights weren¡¯t letting me think.


    As soon as I opened them again, I scanned the room.? My eyesnded on a small bookcase tucked in a corner.


    Perhaps there was something I could find within the pages of the books. Anything at all that could stop her frompleting the rituals and taking Kieran away from me.

 CHAPTER 145: SAVE THE KING

    I ignored the chanting and the energy that came out from what Emaline was doing and tiptoed towards the bookcase.


    I had no idea if trusting in some books was all that I needed but I had to trust my guts that I would find something. Anything at all.


    As soon as I got to the bookcase, I ran my hands across the lined-up books, my fingers brushing against leather-bound books. I inhaled the scent of the old paper ignoring the dusty books that were mostly on history and herbalism. That wasn¡¯t what I needed. Something of symbols and strange runes would do or at least something like marking the floor.


    But there was nothing or maybe, I couldn¡¯t ce my hands on anything that made sense to me. I dropped down the books not minding if Emaline might hear the thuds ande after me there. Searching endlessly through the piles of these books pained my eyes. My hands had begun to grow weak and I could feel the wetness in my eyes. The more I dyed, the more my chances of saving Kieran drew thin. I wished I could just hit her off with a stool and gag her mouth but the lights had be so high that I might die if I tried to do anything of that sort.


    Just as I was about to give up, my fingers brushed against a worn-looking book that had an emerald cover.? The front had a symbol that looked just like the one that Emaline had just poured the purple liquid onto.? I swallowed. This could be it.


    I yanked the book open scanning through the faded text. Everything seemed vague and filled with instructions about ancient magic long forbidden.


    ¡°There has to be something here,¡± I whispered scanning through, and just as I had thought,? my eyesnded on a passage highlighted in faded gold ink.


    ¡°The ceasing spell, bingo.¡±


    I held the book up with my eyes still on the words. It was my chance.? Reading through ancient magic text wasn¡¯t as easy as I had thought it would be. The words just didn¡¯t make sense e and so it was impossible to make out anything. But the clock was ticking and Kieran was being drained of his soul.


    I took a deep breath forcing myself to focus.


    ¡°Focus ra, this is your only chance. You¡¯ve got this.¡±


    I shut my eyes for a minute and when I opened them again, they weren¡¯t just my eyes opening, they were my inner eyes. The special eyes that being the chosen one had gifted me with. It could see beyond the normal. And so, reading the text again through my eyes, I could finally understand it.


    I couldn¡¯t let the tension in the room get in my way. So, I began saying the chants and practicing the hand motions. It needed both to stop Emaline. Finally, it was time.


    I mmed the book shut.? It was time to act.? Raising my voice above Emaline¡¯s chanting, I began to recite the words again and do the hand gestures from the book. My hands began to tremble.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    As I spoke, I felt the energy reducing. The lights from the symbols under Emaline¡¯s feet were reduced.? And her eyes snapped open. They were wide with shock and anger.


    But I didn¡¯t stop, I kept on saying the words even louder. Emaline tried to keep up with her chants but mine were much more powerful as Ibined both wills. Gradually the lights reduced and finally went off.


    Emaline stumbled back as the force threw her against the wall and the book in her hand burst into mes.


    As soon as I saw her against the wall, I rushed towards the altar where Kierany. His body was cold when I touched him. I began to unfasten the straps that bound Kieran.


    ¡°Kieran, please open your eyes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh God¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here,¡± I whispered, finally freeing him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked.


    I stopped for a second and watched him trying to keep his eyes open, ¡°you might have hit your head hard. You¡¯ll be alright,¡± I kept on strong.


    Kieran began to shake, snapping me back to the present.


    ¡°Oh ra, you are alive. I thought the witches took you away. She made me wage a war amongst them. I¡¯m so sorry¡±


    ¡°Kieran it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.,¡± I watched as his eyelids shut once more.? This time, however, his body had be stiffened.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± I screamed, scrambling to my feet, and throwing my arms around him.? His body remained rigid.


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± I roared. I could hear my breathing.


    I left Kieran and faced Emaline who stood in the doorway, a cruel smile twisting her lips. She had cast a spell on the room that had somehow made the guards unaware of what was going on. So, I was on my own.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± Emaline purred, ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ transitioning.? Bing one with my love.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Emaline¡¯s smile widened.? ¡°The ritual, my dear, Ipleted it before you interrupted our little¡­ performance.¡±


    My stomach lurched.? No.? It couldn¡¯t be.? I had disrupted the ritual. It had to have worked.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± I said.


    Emaline chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s no point in lying anymore,¡± she said.? ¡°You see, the ritual doesn¡¯t need anything big or long to get it done. A simple touch and whispered word¡­ that¡¯s all it took to forge a connection.¡±


    She raised a hand towards Kieran, ¡°And the connection is already formed.? Unfortunately, your little stunt may have disrupted the vessel, but the essence¡­ the essence is already bound.¡±


    My mind reeled.? She was right. And I was fucked. So was Kieran.


    I knew that there had to be a way to stop all of this.


    ¡°There has to be another way to get him back and I¡¯m going to find it and when I do, you would regret ever touching Kieran.


    Emaline chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of ra. There is in did a way to stop this from happening. But that would mean the end of Kieran,¡± sheughed out even loud.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, ignoring herughter.


    ¡°You ra. You have the powers to draw out the essence¡­ both of them.? There¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll expel the bound soul, leaving Kieran whole.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the glint in her eyes, she was tricky.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because even if I let you leave, you will alwayse back so it is either you let me have his body. At least he would still be alive or you¡¯d let your selfishness kill him. The ball is in your court. Surprisingly, it¡¯s now your decision to make.¡±


    The thought of Kieran being trapped away while someone else took over his own body was horrible. And then absorbing a life force in a case like this without hurting Kieran was impossible. The thought of him dying haunted me and the worst part of that thought was that I would be the one responsible. What would I tell our child? I needed him. I needed Kieran. I wished I was the one lying there and him here. He always knew what to do.


    I looked at Kieran¡¯s ce face and lifelessness.? His eyes fluttered open for a moment. They met mine, I rushed towards him. Tears flowed down my eyes.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I sniffed.


    ¡°ra,¡± he called out, his voice barely above a whisper.? ¡°Do it.? Please¡­ I¡¯d rather die than¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off, but I had already gotten the message.? He wouldn¡¯t live a life possessed by another.


    ¡°I could kill you. I¡¯m not strong enough. I¡¯m not ready for this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got this. I believe in you,¡± His voice was weak.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t the time to show weakness but it was Kieran, the man that I solely loved. And whom I carried his child. I couldn¡¯t help my emotions.


    The decision was no longer mine.

 CHAPTER 146: KIERAN’S LIFE FORCE

    If there was a chance, even a slim one, of saving Kieran, I had to take it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Emaline¡¯s smile widened,? ¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll love to see you try.¡±


    I stepped towards Kieran and knelt beside him.


    Ignoring Emaline¡¯s watchful gaze, I reached out and ced a hand on his chest. His skin felt cold and mmy beneath my fingertips. Closing my eyes, I focused on my inner self. Connecting with the power within me.


    With a deep breath, I began the ritual.


    A warmth spread out in my palm. It wasn¡¯t aforting warmth. It was a strong energy that crawled under my skin.


    Tightening my teeth, I forced myself to press my hand back on Kieran¡¯s chest. The energy pulsed beneath me.


    My head spanned and I suddenly felt dizzy like I should have fallen but I kept on.


    Kieran¡¯s body remained rigid, but I felt his skin bing warm gradually. Whatever I was doing seemed to be working. I just needed to lush forward and so I did. The energy began to increase. It grew heavier. Sweat rolled down my forehead and I kept my eyes shut.


    Kieran¡¯s body shook, shaking the ground but I still kept on. I was drawing a life force. It seared its way through my veins.


    I choked on my voice as I groaned. Tears began to roll down my chin as raw pain? ripped through me, stealing my breath away


    ¡°ra, Stop it. You¡¯ll kill yourself,¡± I heard Kieran¡¯s voice but I did not stop.


    I couldn¡¯t stop now.? Not when I was so close.? Gritting my teeth, I poured all my remaining strength letting out a loud gasp as light erupted around us.


    The power that came out of me was like it was going to explode my head. My scream tore through the air as the pain grew in my head and the heat around me increased.


    And just as the light hade, it vanished.


    And I could hear my heartbeat again.


    I slumped forward and copsed on the floor beside Kieran.


    Through the haze, I could hear the ragged sound of Kieran¡¯s breathing.? He was alive.? He was here.


    ¡°ra?¡± Are you alright?¡± I heard Kieran¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I whispered, squeezing his hand tightly.? ¡°Just¡­ tired.¡±


    He tried to sit up.


    ¡°What¡­ What happened? Thest thing I remember¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off and he froze.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I jumped off the ground.


    Suddenly, Kieran¡¯s body jerked. His eyes widened.


    ¡°Kieran, what¡¯s going on? Talk to me,¡± I tightened the grip on his hand.


    ¡°Kieran? Please talk to me,¡± my voice had be shaky.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but the words that came out were not his.


    ¡°You did well, my love, you brought me back.¡±


    His voice was firm and he had the weirdest smile I had ever seen. That wasn¡¯t Kieran. I had failed.


    He turned his head slowly, his gaze locking onto mine.? But the warmth I expected was reced by a certain coldness.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± Moving away from him.


    He smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me, my dear? It¡¯s Theophilus, of course.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.? The ritual¡­ It worked.? I got you out.¡±


    Theophilus threw back his head andughed.


    ¡°You naive fool,¡± he sneered.? ¡°She never intended to bring Kieran back.? He was merely the vessel.? I am the one who returned.¡±


    Emaline had lied.? It had been a trap all along.


    Theophilus turned back towards me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he drawled.? ¡°You served your purpose and when the time is due, you¡¯ll get your reward.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I had done.


    Emaline appeared in the doorway.


    ¡°You lied to me. You wanted to use me to get him,¡± I cried.


    ¡°No, darling. I told you it was a fifty percent chance


    I guess Theo was stronger,¡± she giggled and faced him. Leaving me in my own tears.


    ¡°Theophilus!¡± she shrieked, rushing towards him.? ¡°You¡¯re back to me, finally,¡± she hugged him.


    Tears streamed down her face, as she buried her chest in his body that used to be the body of my man.


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the tears, the hate and sadness that overwhelmed me. I just wanted to die; they were going to kill me anyway. I wanted it to be sooner.


    She pulled away from him and looked at me again.


    ¡°Indeed, my love,¡± he said, ¡°And thanks to you, I am reborn.¡±


    Emaline threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.? ¡°Oh, Theophilus,¡± she sobbed.? ¡°I missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I missed you, my darling. I would never let you go again.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, my love. I chose a good body for you. A king. The kingdom is ours now. You will be king and? I¡¯ll be your queen. I¡¯ll be by your side, ruling with an iron fist.¡±


    ¡°A king?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my darling. This is all yours now.¡±


    ¡°You are the best gift given to me in life.¡±


    He kissed her.


    ¡°We need to go, our kingdom awaits us,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, you are right my love. But first, I need to take care of her,¡± she gestured towards me.


    ¡°What would you do to her?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She has served her purpose in helping me bring you back to life and with that, I will be forever grateful for her contribution. But she is strong. She is the chosen one and possesses great power. We cannot risk keeping her alive. There is so much at risk already. But to show my gratitude, I¡¯ll make it quick and painless.¡±


    She took a step closer.


    My breath hitched in my throat.? This was it.? The end.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I take her life for you, my love?¡± Theophilus said.


    Emaline turned towards him, ¡°You are not a killer Theophilus and I wouldn¡¯t want your hands stained with blood. I want us to have a fresh start.¡±


    ¡°You have done so much my love, let me do this for us.¡±


    He leaned closer to Emaline and kissed her lips slowly taking the dagger from her grip.


    I shut my eyes again but then I heard Emaline scream.


    When I opened them again, I saw Emaline on the ground with the dagger in her chest.


    ¡°You¡­are such¡­¡± Emaline tried to speak as she gasped for breath.


    ¡°A good actor?¡± Kieran cut her off, ¡°I guess you believed that ra had taken away my life force and kept your so-called lover. So gross I had to kiss you to keep up that act. Now, you¡¯ll never hurt me or my family again.¡±


    Emaline¡¯s chest stopped heaving and she stopped struggling. Shey sprawled on the floor in the pool of her blood, her face had be pale and her eyes vacant. She was gone.


    ¡°ra, You alright?¡± He rushed towards me.


    Tears spilled down my cheek as he pulled me up. I copsed on his body, burying my face in his chest.


    ¡°Kieran, I thought I lost you,¡± I sobbed.


    He held me close, ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily, he chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m here now,¡± he murmured.? ¡°We both are.¡±


    We clung to each other, listening to our own heartbeat and Emaline¡¯s magic around the room faded away and the guards could see us now. They rushed in and dragged out her body.


    All that had happened had brought us down to that moment. It had made us inseparable. Of all the pain and sacrifice we had to make, we were alive. We were together. And that, in that moment, was all that mattered.     A hush fell over the gathered crowd as Kieran squeezed my hand.? We stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the front, facing a crowd of sad faces.? The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the ground of a mass grave for the witches who had died in the battle.


    These women were victims of Emaline¡¯s maniption. And their deaths would always be a reminder of her terror and the bond Kieran and I shared. It had proven to be unbreakable. I had never been very grateful.


    Kieran leaned in, ¡°Are you alright?¡± He whispered.


    I nodded, forcing a smile. ¡°Just¡­ overwhelmed.¡±


    He understood.


    The speaker kept on with his words, as he spoke, I nced at Kieran.? His gaze was fixed on the graves.


    The ceremony ended with a prayer and soon the crowd murmured their goodbyes to the departed.? As people began to leave, a woman with tear-filled eyes approached us.? She bowed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.? ¡°For saving us¡­ and for bringing peace.¡±


    Kieran offered her a kind smile.? ¡°There is no peace without forgiveness,¡± he said gently.


    The woman nodded.? As she walked away, I squeezed Kieran¡¯s hand.? His words, though simple, held a truth. The truth that we all longed for.


    EPILOGUE


    Exhaustion weighed heavily in my eyes. The midwife, a kind woman with weathered hands and a gentle smile, cradled a bundle of blue nkets in her arms.


    ¡°He¡¯s here, ra,¡± she announced, ¡°A healthy baby boy.¡±


    Tears fell down my eyes, tears of joy. I reached out, my trembling fingers brushing against the soft hair on his head.? He was perfect, a tiny replica of Kieran in my arms.


    Kieran, who had been pacing the room rushed to my side.? His eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.? But the smile that spread across his face was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. He was crying too.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s incredible,¡± he stammered. He reached out, cradling the baby¡¯s cheek.


    Our son. He was a product of our love and a symbol of hope after the darkness we had faced.


    ¡°He looks just like you,¡± I whispered.


    Kieran chuckled,? ¡°He has your eyes, love. Those strong, determined eyes.¡±


    We sat in the silence for a while cuddling our child.


    ¡°What should we name him?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Espoir, it means Hope,¡± I finally said, the name feeling right the moment it left my lips.


    Kieran smiled.? ¡°Espoir, ¡± he repeated, ¡°Espoir¡­ it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear.? ¡°Thank you, ra,¡± he murmured.? ¡°Thank you for giving me this.¡±


    I turned my head, meeting his gaze.


    ¡°We did it together,¡± I whispered, squeezing his hand.


    And as we sat there, I knew that I had finally found my rightful ce. Whatever challenges awaited us; we would face them together. For in our armsid not just a son, but a mark of our enduring love.


    THE END.


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