Chapter 7 - The King's Move

"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 back and she could see how tired he was. He looked drained, worse than the night at the house.

"It is true, George."

"But--but you are a lone wolf! Have you forgotten that, Zezi? Back when we were on the run and we met this witch while we were looking for your mate, she said you were a lone wolf. Have you forgotten?"

"I know," the sadness she felt was starting to choke her.

"I remember but it is true. I don't know how it happened but it is true." 

She so badly wanted to stand, to go to him, but she couldn't. The pain was still there, burning.

He started pacing around again while mumbling denial to himself.

"No, I came all the way here for you to tell me that it is not true. Your words were my last hope. Your words, my love. Just a 'no' would have done it."

"George..." She called out to him, scared that he would do something bad to himself but he kept mumbling while he drove his hands crazily through his hair.

"Just your words...your words..."

"George!" She finally snapped and it was like he was hearing her call him for the first time. He turned to her abruptly.

"It doesn't mean anything. If it did, I won't be here running away."

His tensed shoulders slumped then, his lips parted and it was like a sudden realization dawned on him.

He felt stupid for a moment. Then he came to her, a knee on the floor while he looked directly at her. He watched her for a while, a tear ran down his face. She reached up to him, weep the tears away. She cupped his face between her hands and smiled reassuringly at him.

"It means nothing." She kissed him then, a passionate kiss that filled with a sort of underlying promise. He kissed her back, just as passionate, just as needy.

When they drew apart, he bent to her neck, drew her up in his arms so that she was pressed against him. He spoke against his marked etched into her skin while he allowed himself to be engulfed in her scent.

"I don't want to lose you, Zezi. I don't ever want to ever lose you."

With her fingers, she brushed against her mark on his neck lightly before leaning into him.

"And you won't."

As much as he wanted this moment to last for them, he knew he didn't have enough time.

"We have to leave."

"I have been thinking about that. Where? There is no "where" out here."

"There is and we can leave right now."

A smile played on Zezi's but it faded away almost immediately. 

"Mira."

"I have plans for that too." He pulled away from her then sat by her side. 

"I went to see Aunt Alice before I left."

Aunt Alice was someone that Zezi considered as a mother. When Zezi had just gotten to the pack, Aunt Alice was dealing with the grief of losing her daughter. It was so painful for her because she had to deal with the pain alone, her mate had died some years ago before it happened. 

Aunt Alice had taken her in and ever since then they were family. Aunt Alice loved Zezi so much that she was willingly to lay down her life for her.

"I told her to tell the Alpha that she would be leaving with Mira to another pack in our Alpha's territory, so that when everything comes down it won't affect Mira's health."

"So...?"

"Well by now she must have gotten the pass from the Alpha to leave. The thing is that she is not going to another pack. She will be waiting for us somewhere around the border."

He watched her for a while trying to see if she would connect all the dots together but he couldn't wait anymore and he said out in excitement.

"We are flying out of Teeland, my love! Aunt Alice, Mira, you and I, we will all disappear."

He chuckled and pulled her into an embrace. She smiled too, happiness rushing fast through her veins. But something flashed into her mind and a coldness immediately creeped over her. 

It was like she was in the hall again and his hand was brushing lightly against hers. She gulped, it was suddenly hard to breath.

Then the King's eyes flashed into her mind and her heart raced. Those dark eyes that seemed to trap her in.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that he was someone who wouldn't easily let something that he believed was his go.

George's voice snapped her out of her daze and she sucked in a deep breath.

"...their car will be waiting for us. All we have to do, is get there."

How long had he been talking? She couldn't remember.

He stood up, packed up their bags, strapped it to his back and bent to carry her.

"George, I am worried, I think..." She stopped when she noticed his arms go stiff around her. She looked up at him to see that his eyes had been rolled back. He stood like that for a while before his eyes retained their normal position and a glare crossed his face.

"I hate when he does that." He said then continued walking. 

"Alpha Gery? When did he start using the mind link again."

"Well, since yesterday."

It was quiet for a while as George tried to maneuver their way through the forest.

"What did he say?"

"That they saw a warrior unconscious and they believe it was you." A sly grin appeared on George's face.

"He also asked if I had seen you. Well I said no but I think I might soon."

"You know something about you, George?" Her voice sounded teasing and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. It had been quite a while since they ever had time for each other.

"What?

"You are such a selfish man." She drawled and he chuckled lightly. 

"Selfish when it comes to you, Zezi. Gladly, truly and wholeheartedly selfish."

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"We will be there soon. By tomorrow all these will be behind us. It will all be over."

George said when he finished building up the tent they could rest in for the night. The fire burnt softly at one side, while Zezi stared blankly into it. She still couldn't help feeling uneasy and no matter what she did, she couldn't stop remembering his cold hand brushing lightly against hers nor could she forget his eyes. 

There was something dark, dangerous and compelling about his eyes.

"Are you listening?" George said next to her and she jumped in her own skin. Looking back at him, startled.

"I said it time for us to go to sleep." George arched an eyebrow at her.

"What were you thinking about?"

Her mouth felt dry and her heart clenched with disappointment and annoyance.

Him...

She had been thinking about him but how could she say that? Although her thoughts had been channeled towards other intentions, it pissed her off that she even thought about him to begin with.

"Nothing important. Just worried, that it is all."

He held her hand reassuringly and smiled.

"It will soon be over, my love. I promise you that."

She nodded. She sure hope it did. She honestly couldn't wait.

When she left, he followed after her but his steps stilled all of a sudden. She hadn't noticed though, so she made her way into the tent.

Alpha Gery's voice rang in his mind then.

"The warrior you knocked out cold is recovering."

"Figured that out, didn't you, Alpha Gery?"

"I Know you are with her."

His reply was abrupt, blunt and sounded unwavering.

"Then you must know that I am not coming back."

"I understand you, Beta, but it is no longer the pack against you anymore."

"Your tactics won't work on me."

His mind was quiet before Alpha Gery's voice rang in his mind again and he could have sworn that he sensed pity and sadness in it.

"The Vampire king has your daughter."

Whatever resistance George had in him, at that moment, instantly came crumbling down.