Zezi hid behind another tree, her senses alert. She was listening attentively for any movement.
It had been two days or maybe even more she couldn't really tell. She was running out of supplies and she had left behind her weapons at the tent when she fled.
Her eyes ached from lack of sleep and she was sure she must stink. It had been a while since she had a bath and she hadn't come across any river yet, neither had it rained. She couldn't waste the water she had with her on her body, she was reserving that for her thirst.
She ran to the next tree and laid her back flatly against it. She bit her lips to stop herself from crying. She felt so cold and alone. She missed her daughter and her husband, yet she knew she couldn't go back. If she did, she wouldn't be able to stay. He would take her away, she would be forced to leave with the enemy.
She was certain that with the Alpha, knowing everything now, would have drawn up another bargain that involved her.
But could she blame him? It was just her, a pack member, against the whole pack. Any Alpha would do it.
She came across another werewolf who attacked her yet again. This time, it took a little longer to bring him down. He had shifted into his wolf midair and her steps had flattered a little.
She had snapped too, shifting into her wolf. A huge silver wolf that made the other cower. Her wolf had blue eyes just as she did. Her wolf was angry and desperate. She growled in warning to the her opponent, a brown wolf that obviously stood no chance. But the wolf didn't listen and he had charged at her instead.
She tried hard not to kill him but this wolf was determined to do otherwise. Whatever madness had set in his brains. So when he sank his canines into her arm, past her fur, she didn't hesitate to draw her claws sharply against his neck, rippling his lungs opened.
The wolf fell down with a thud, lifeless. Some distance away, she could hear a wolf howling in pain.
They were here.
With her bag in her mouth, her wound healing fast, yet her fur stained with her blood, she ran.
***
When she finally changed back to her human form, it was at night. She was so thankful that she had packed some extra clothing or else she would have to be scrolling along this forest naked.
She was hungry, tired and afraid. Changing to her wolf had made her use up all her strength and she had now ran out of food. She fell to the floor exhausted.
How long exactly could she run? Where was she running to?
Away, her mind answered.
But where was "away"? Was what she was doing right? Was it wise?
She couldn't think for long because soon the sleep that she had been tried so hard to avoid for a while now, tackled her and overcame her.
She found herself falling into a nightmare of what had happened the night she became rogue. The night the vampires came into their pack and killed them all.
She could feel it all again, the fear that rushed into her veins as she discovered that her parents were gone. She could hear the screaming, she could feel the fire burning, her legs aching from running too much.
It all happened when she was fourteen. They had attacked them and her pack had not been ready. It was an ambush, one that happened at the dead of the night.
While she ran aimlessly with tears running down her face, someone had pulled her aside quickly. Before she could even scream, a hand was over her mouth while the person pulled her along into a dark passageway.
The voice she had heard made her cease her struggling. It was a voice she knew all too well. It was George, the Alpha's son.
"Run and don't look back. Run, Zezi. I will be right here by your side, we do this together."
That was the night her hatred for Vampires began. Up until then, it had just been tales of their cruelty but that night, she experienced it and lost everything.
Except George.
He had lost everything too, yet he stayed with her and they did it together.
She started shivering as she laid on the cold floor. Tears running down her eyes, the images still playing in her mind, the voices still loud in her ears.
***
When she woke up again, she was standing face to face with a warrior. His eyes became wide with discovery immediately he realized who she was but before he could say anything, she had already tackled him to the ground and left him unconscious.
She packed up her bags quickly, pushing the hunger away.
They were here already?! How long had she slept?!
The sun peeking through the trees answered her question and she gnashed her teeth.
It was daylight!
She knew she shouldn't have fallen asleep! Now what was she going to do?
Before she made it far though, she heard a silver chain swinging swiftly across the air. With her accelerated hearing, she knew where it was going to land. She jumped off the ground at that instance, the chain that was supposed to have her legs in bondage held thin air.
She looked back at her attacker and that was when she made a mistake. There her husband was, behind her, his eyes holding pain that seemed suffocating.
Silver chains wrapped firmly around her legs then, altering her balance and ripping her harshly from her thoughts. She fell down with a thud. She reached down quickly to loosen the chains but it burnt her hands and she cried out in pain.
"George..." She called out in a painful whisper. He walked closer, next to her attacker, his eyes still haven't stopped holding all that pain.
"The Alpha wants no harm upon you." He said when he finally got in front of her.
"George...?"
"I advise you come with us quietly."
His words hurt. She understood that he could he mad at her for leaving without an explanation but he should know why.
This was just plain hurtful. How could he turn against her like this? Out of everyone, he should understand!
She blinked the tears that refused to stop rolling down her cheeks away and smiled painfully.
"Or what? You will kill me?"
"Zeta Zezi...."
"Whatever, Beta." She glared down at the chains still wrapped around her legs before looking up at them.
"You definitely won't be taking me alive. I will make sure of that."
George's jaw tightened then suddenly a smiled crossed his lips. Zezi's confidence washed over with confusion.
Did he, perhaps, want her dead?
George turned around swiftly, hitting the warrior next to him on his neck. The warrior fall unconscious, then he pressed his thumb on his forehead, his eyes rolled back for a while before they retained their normal position and he tossed the warrior aside.
Then he winked at her.
"I was hoping you would say that."
Relief washed over her and amidst the pain, she found herself smiling back at him.
This was the George she knew. The one that was with her all those years while they were rogues, the one that was always willing to take any risk for her. The one that decided to accept her proposal for them to be chosen mates when they discovered that she would never have one. Although now, she really didn't know how she felt about that but it was reassuring to have George with her. Reassuring to have him here with her again, like every other time he never left.
He pulled out thick gloves from his pocket and undid the chains. He brought her up, carrying her in his arms because she wouldn't be able to walk for a while till the wound healed. Which was going to take quite a while considering it was silver.
George had an ability passed down to him from his generation. He could make people forget things if he wanted to. Just like what he had done to the warrior, he would forget ever seeing Zezi or who attacked him. It was mostly a game of luck with the power because sometimes it would work and other times it wouldn't. This was just one of those few lucky times that it did.
He brought them to a river, where she was able to have her bath and change her clothes. Throughout the journey, they both kept quiet.
When they finally got to somewhere they could rest, George tended to her wounds. She was healing at a rather fast rate but she would still need a while to stay off her feet.
She leaned against the tree where she sat, tired. She gulped down the bottle of water George had given her while she stared down at the empty food wrapper. It was so good to have her belly full again.
"I'm sorry." She finally mustered the courage to face what she had been avoiding. He looked at her from where he sat some distance away then looked away.
When did he become so hard to read? So distant. It felt like whoever he was while saving her a while ago had completely been replaced.
"How is Mira?""She is fine. Aunt Alice is doing a great job.""I--I had no choice. I had to leave."It was quiet, like he wouldn't say anything in return. It got to a point that she was starting to doubt if he had even heard her."You should have told me.""I just...""I know we are not true mates but we love each other, don't we?"Zezi furrowed her eyebrows at that question, "Where is this coming from? This thing about not being true mates? We chose each other, George. Of course, we love each other."He stood up then, pacing in front of her before he stopped abruptly."Is it true? I have to hear it from you. I don't care how it must seem to everyone else, if you just say it isn't, then I will discard all the thoughts I have been coming up with. We will go back there right now and tell them that the Vampire King is nuts."His eyes looked like they carried weights of sadness. The way his shoulders slumped showed how hard it was for him to keep up with all of these. He pushed his hair
"He stopped Alice when she was about to leave the pack and seized your daughter."George didn't respond, he didn't know what to say."There is more.""More?!""Like I said, it isn't the pack against you anymore. He has sent the rest of his kind back to his Empire. He is giving us a day to give Zezi to him. If we don't, he will kill Mira and every single one of us."George heart raced at that thought. Fear wasn't always something he entertained but even his wolf that was full of ego and pride about his abilities knew when there was a challenge that they couldn't take down. His wolf was shouting at him for being stupid. Zezi wasn't even his mate. Why must he risk his life like this for her? He was shouting back in his mind that she was his, just like he was hers and being true mates didn't matter.When it came to Zezi, there were many things that he and his wolf never agreed on. Like what she truly meant to him.Alpha Gery's voice snapped him out of his internal battle."I know you co
The voice cut through the office.Dark, sharp, cold and absolutely daring. Just like that day in the hall. George gnashed his teeth, staying still while anger drummed in his head.She was his! His!No, she is not. His wolf snapped at him. He heard Zezi call him quickly, like she was afraid of what would happen if he didn't step away."George..."The King was there, still looking at them calmly but the tightness in his jaws showed just how hard he was trying to still have the reigns of control."Take your hands off her."George stood up abruptly. A sudden fear had crawled over him. He felt cold. He immediately grabbed Mira and carried her in his arms. Before Zezi could stand, she felt a cold hand tight around her wrist while she staggered to her feet. It happened so fast.She was just kneeling on the floor right there a moment ago and now, here she was by his side. He was fast, faster than they were. So fast that her sight had blurred for a moment. It was only then she noticed the
He started walking away then and she had no choice but to follow, his hand was still firm around her wrist. He turned back abruptly making her almost walk into him."You know, you should always clean up after your meal, Laura. You still act like such a child."Zezi turned quickly. She saw it then, blood just around Laura's lips. How had she missed it?She tried hard to maintain her breathing. Every moment here reminded her about how much of a monster they were.Laura's tongue slithered out to lick it away and she smiled blatantly at him. Like whatever made her terrified of him moments ago had disappeared into thin air."Well, I do that because you always look out for me. Don't you, brother?"B-brother?! They were siblings! Zezi sighed in defeat. How was she going to easily escape if there were no jealous lover(s).to aid and abet her plans?They soon resumed what was starting to seem like a journey to her room. They finally came to a door at the end of the hallway. In haste to get awa
The words jammed into her head and her throat dried up immediately. This just couldn't be happening to her.Gwen looked around, a little lost in the moment."It was supposed to be tomorrow but things happen anyway. Soon enough all these decorations will be gone."Gone?"What do you mean gone?"Gwen snapped her lips shut. It was like as if she was chastising herself in her head for saying too much. Then she started a reluctant speech to get herself out of the mess she was tangled up in."The King was supposed to get married tomorrow but you are here now so..." She shrugged and chuckled nervously.So there would indeed be a jealous lover to help her after all!"To who?"Gwen sigh uncomfortably, "will it be alright for you to know that? I mean, you won't be angry? You know this thing between mates, it can snap at...""I will be perfectly fine. Who was it?"It took Gwen a moment of internal debate before she finally answered, "Lady Delice."Zezi nodded slowly. So there was indeed someth
Just like his eyes were when they were in the car, they were flashing from red to black and those black veins hazardously lined his face, down to his neck where the robe started covering the rest.She stepped back slowly in fear.The fear she felt for him was overpowering, more than even the bond she couldn't fight.A cold hand grabbed her from behind and she turned, startled."You shouldn't be here."It was Gwen but it wasn't the sunshine Gwen. This Gwen had something dark and monstrous in her eyes as she pulled her away from the hallway."You shouldn't have come here."Zezi looked back at the man lying on the floor. He had black blood oozing out of his mouth, a sharp contrast with the sparkling clean white tile. His eyes had also been permanently rolled back, leaving a plain whiteness in its wake. His body stiff as he gave his last fight and suddenly he went limp.She looked back up at him and she immediately felt trapped because no longer could she look away. The compelling bond an
Gwen started wheeling away the empty trolley out silently before Zezi's voice stopped her."Hmm, Gwen?""Yes, my Lady," there was a determination in her eyes like she was ready to keep on her act even if it would kill her."I need a book and a pen or pencils, anyone. It is boring not doing anything in here all day.""That?" Excitement sparkled in Gwen's eyes. "I'll get it for you. Are you perhaps a writer or an artist?""Both, if stick figures are considered exquisite art and if short bedtime stories are considered powerful books.""Oh you are so funny, my Lady," Gwen chuckled uncontrollably. "I'll tell my kids and husband about this. They sure would love it.""They sure would.""Anything else?""No, that will be all."Gwen gave her another bright smile before wheeling the empty trolley out and closing the door. Immediately, Zezi saw the door closed, she sucked in a deep breath. She didn't even know that she was holding her breath all that while. The long marks she saw on Gwen's hand
Her hand tightened around the doorknob while the other tightened around her towel. He stood there by the door rigid, his eyes on her. Taking note of her wet hair and her very exposed neck. His eyes darted to the mark and once again, something ticked in his jaws."I thought you were Gwen," she managed to say but he said nothing, his eyes turning darker and darker with every lingering moment.She wanted to close the door. Fear rushed through her veins then as the image of what she saw in the hallway cross through her mind. She wanted to sink into herself and stay far away from him yet she couldn't even close the freaking door?! Why couldn't she just look away from his burning gaze? It was like as if her feelings were out of her reigns of control, compelling her and drawing her to him. Yet there was fear, a large tussling fear.She heard someone coming up the door at that moment and he did too. "Your Majesty, I was just wondering..." A male voice started to say but before the person cou