Candice raised her glass to Sabine "Cheers."Sabine clinked glasses with her "Cheers girl."They were sprawled out, side by side, on two separate mats on the seashore. It was an evening beach party; the place was packed full of people or rather beings in different bathing suits.While most of the ladies wore sexy, colorful bathing suits, the males wore nice briefs or boxers. A beach fire had been set up and they were together in a group, dancing around the fire. The style of dance was the La Bamba dance of Mexico.Sabine and her didn't join in on the dance, they were more focused on the mocktails that were being served around. And were both on their third glasses since arrival with a large bowl of potato crackers and avocado dipping.She didn't expect that she would be enjoying the party so much. Unlike the Wolfen plane of Woede where everybody acted very strict, and courteous. Adhered to a rank system, and practiced monarchy. Much like old Britain.However, this place was different.
At that moment, a male walked up to them out of the dance group.He was beckoning on them to join in the dance.They both politely declined, but he would not budge. He held onto Candice's hand, pleading with her to join him. When his persuasion was getting too dramatic, Sabine urged her to join him for a short dance.Immediately they got to the dance floor, the music on the stereo changed from a rowdy La Bamba to a slow salsa.Males and Females broke up from the circle into a pair of twos."Can you dance the salsa?" The bare-chested, hot-looking guy asked."I don't know how to dance any dance," she said shyly.Honey-colored eyes winked at her "Anyone can dance. Especially someone so beautiful as you," he said taking her hands "just follow my lead, beautiful."Unsure of what to do, she let him hold her hands and lead her. They began to move with slow steps.The male was well built with an athlete's body, he was five feet nine inches. A good height compared to her small frame, his hair
"Why did you do that?" Candice asked him."I should be the one asking you what the hell you think you were doing," Wayne growled.They had just come out from the portal at the seashore, she had been bristling with unspoken anger all through their way back. Now that they were back home on plane Weode, she could finally confront him about his rash behavior at the party.She stepped out of the water, dripping from her knees to her toes. He had insisted she wore her Kimono; he even took off his black jacket and secured it around her waist firmly. Ensuring the Kimono was tucked tightly around her chest and waist, covering up her exposed skin.She began to walk towards the house in the distance."We were just dancing, it was harmless," she said.Wayne stepped out of the water after her, his face still as hard as a rock "Tell that to the sparrows. Just a dance you say, when his hands was all over your naked body and he was kissing you.""I was not naked, it was a beach party," she explained.
Candice ran up the steps of the porch.Jordan sent her a salute her way, but she ran past him and pushed the double doors open into the living room of the mansion.There she skidded to a halt as her eyes fell on a familiar face.Seated on one of the plush leather chairs was the one person she had longed for, missed so dearly, and craved to see for weeks now.It was her dearest friend, Bernice.She was wearing a beige halter neck top with brown khaki shorts, matching white sneakers adorned her feet. Her black mass of hair was pulled into a firm knot behind her head. She looked the same, yet at the same time she seemed different."Candice…" Bernice got up from her seat.Like a magnetic force field, they ran into each other's embrace. The room seemed to fade away, leaving the two to exist in their own spotlight. Tears welled and streamed down their faces, arms crisscrossed along shoulder and waist, their body shook in the throes of their joy."I'm so sorry," they both said simultaneously
The sound of cutleries echoed through the dining hall.Four of them were gathered around a table.Well, the upper end of the table.The length of the table could host twenty-four people at one meal. They had to seat clustered at one end to have a semblance of a gathering. Wayne sat at the head of the table, Rojan flanked him on the right side. She and Bernice occupied the chairs on his left.The chef had cooked up a feast, half of the table was spread heavy with varieties. Her eyes roamed over this bountiful provision and her chest felt heavy, they had more than enough while those over the border, at the outskirts were ravaged with hunger."Why have you stopped eating?" Wayne asked as he shoveled a spoonful of seasoned rice into his mouth, his eyes watching her intently.Candice looked down at her hands, surprised to see that she had dropped her cutlery set."Nothing," she said and picked them up.She tried to eat the vegetable salad on her plate, but her appetite seemed to have varni
The room had grown quiet behind her.Maybe the room wouldn't feel the same without her and he would tell her to stay with them just a bit more.Still nothing.She arrived at the living room, crossed the vast room to the staircase. Her shoulders were stiff and alert, hoping for a call. For his call."Candice."Her head snapped back immediately; someone had called her "Yes," she responded."Rojan and I will be heading into the city, he wants to show me around. Want to join us?"It was Bernice, the one person in the world that actually cared how she felt. It would have been great to hang with them, but she really wanted to rest."I am tired Bernie bear, I prefer to stay in. Have fun," she said and continued up the stairs, all the way to her room.She pushed open the door and shut it behind her as she leaned on it. The walls around her room briefly blurred as her eyes stung with unshed tears. She felt was feeling miserable and she had no idea why.She felt… disappointed.What was going on
Wayne reclined on his side on the bed in his room.He was knackered to a great extent and wanted to fall asleep after the heavy dinner. However, he could not seem to catch a wink of sleep.The past few days had been grueling on his part. The search for her, the pursuit after her captor, the Jubokko tree assault, the battle with the Lamia shapeshifter, the visit to the council of elders, the excruciatingly painful journey into the Hade's lair, the altercation at the mating festival on the misty plane. Lastly and the best part of it all, the return of his beta and second in command, his most trusted associate, his one and only best friend.He should feel at peace that he had overcome all obstacles, retrieved his mate from her captor unharmed. Also, he accomplished the near impossible feat of accessing the tree of life, now the hinterlands would be healed and his plane would be whole again.He should be feeling a sense of satisfaction, yet something gnawed at his conscience. Like there w
Busted!"Rojan you're back," Wayne acknowledged.Rojan was standing a few meters away from him, carrying Bernice on his back. The once vibrant young lady looked passed out and was sleeping soundly on his shoulders."Yes, I am," Rojan replied casting him a mug stare."I was not expecting you guys so soon," he said, feeling a little embarrassed. This was the second time in one evening that Rojan had caught him in compromising positions. Luckily for him, he had donned a robe despite his haste to come to her. What logical explanation could he give if he was caught naked in front of Candice's door? It would have been worse if Bernice was awake, gratefully she was fast asleep."I actually came to talk to her, but changed my mind," he explained as his left ear twitched.Rojan looked at him, his eyes roaming over his physique. Then he nodded, his eyes disbelieving "Okay, if you say so.""What happened, why are you back so soon?" He inquired."This one is wild, immediately we got to a pub. She
Her heart pumped hard in her chest as she tore through the woods.Mists swirled all around giving her the perfect cover she needed, but the hurried sounds of her feet gave her position away.Yet, she could not dare stop.She could hear their footsteps, hot on her trail. Two pairs of legs ran after her. As a nymph she was fast, but as werewolves, they were faster.The clouds of mist that was a blessing was also a curse, because it obscured her view. It seemed the mists seemed to get denser the more she ran deep into the trees.She had no idea the direction she was taking. Beyond Sabine's house, she was not familiar with the landscape. She barely knew her way around this plane. Whenever they left the house, she was always in Sabine's company.Not that she had gone out much, she spent most of her time crying and sulking the early days of her arrival.If she was thinking properly, she should be heading in the direction of the town. But right now, her head was messed up and she just wanted
Bernice felt her knees grind against the scorching sand.She had been shoved to her knees while the sorceress ordered two of her men to go after Sabine.The place on her neck where the knife had pricked stung, one good thing about her newfound amortality was that the cut would heal without a scar. She hoped with all her heart that Sabine was able to leave.It was sad that she had been caught, but better one of them, than both of them."What is taking you so long? You can't even handle a girl?" Zipporah snapped from her position on the ground, where she stood gazing up at the house.One of the men said from within the house "The halfling is gone.""What?" Zipporah's face creased in a frown."I don't know, one minute she was here and the next she wasn't," the man replied."I think she escaped through a portal that I saw her create, when I was up there with them," the man that was holding her down on her knees, told Zipporah.At his words, Zipporah slapped him hard, across the face."Inc
The third beetle flapped its wings and took flight, it snatched up one of the men and ascended up to the sky."Do something Zipporah, don't just stand there!" The man left on the ground to fight against the two beetles snapped at her."I am the one paying you, why should I do the work for you?" She yawned and put a hand to her mouth, looking bored."If we all get killed, of what good is your gold?" He retorted."Okay, I'll help you," she snorted and formed a large fireball in her hand and sent it to the sky to hit the beetle. The beetle lost its strength and began to fall to the ground.She made two more fireballs and threw one to each of the remaining beetles on the ground. They quivered and became weak.The beetle from the sky crashed to the ground a few meters away from the house clearing. Before it reached the ground, the man it was carrying had jumped to the side, allowing it to crash alone. The body shattered to pieces from the momentum of the crash.The two beetles left became
Cracks and fissures fanned across the walls of the house.She heard the squeaks of her building and the entire house wobbled.Sabine crawled back from the window.What was that fey doing here?The last time she had seen her was at her castle and she had absconded, leaving everything behind when Wayne had come after her.No one heard from her since then, Wayne had searched for her continuously and then finally gave up when he realized she was hiding in his uncle's fortress. The one place he could not breach because of the spirit of the dragon.So far, she had stayed away from her. Not attempting anything, because she knew that Wayne was her close associate.What had given her the temerity and the boldness to come out of hiding and attack her, on her plane, in broad daylight?Judging from the fireballs she was using instead of explosives; she was still treading with caution.Though her house was tucked away in the woods, just a few hundred meters away from the main town settlement, the
"Do you want to tell me what happened during your journey on planet Uranus?" Sabine probed.Bernice shook her head, no."But you should have known that Rojan is set on his principles. He has been that way for decades now," she said."I know," Bernice said and looked away, averting her eyes."You should have known he is righteously waiting for his fated mate," she added."I know," Bernice replied and wiped away a tear that slipped down her cheeks."Oh dear, why did you do this to yourself?" Sabine dropped her handbag and drew close to hug her."I thought I would be able to win him over, I thought I had a chance," Bernice cried as she hugged her tight "Now I know I will never compare to his mate. More so, now that I am a nymph.""Hey," Sabine drew back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't feel bad for being a nymph. You are beautiful and the right man for you will love you no matter what you are.""I hate him, Sabine. I hate him so much for being so nice to me and making me fall fo
"Don't touch that," Sabine said and collected her bones from Bernice."Okay, I was only looking at it," Bernice said and took a small meteorite rock from the counter."And don't touch that," Sabine said, grabbing the rock from her and returning it to its former position."Okay, okay, I won't touch anything," Bernice raised her palms to the air and retreated to the sitting room.Sabine let out a deep breath, feeling exasperated.Three weeks had passed since Bernice appeared in her house full of tears and looking all different.She had consoled her and agreed to help her. But Bernice was a handful. It was not easy trying to contain her excess energy.Sometimes, she felt like she was raising a toddler who was curious about life and wanted to try everything out.She was funny, outspoken and the life of a party. Her company was enjoyable and she was fun to be around. It would have been less stressful if she could learn her boundaries.Sabine's eyes flipped to her sitting in the living room
Three weeks had passed by with her still locked up in this cell.It had been a hard time for her.After locking her up for seven days, Smeden only returned to bring food and water to her three times a day.On the Seventh day, he told her that his Lord had instructed him to ask if she had reconsidered her decision.She glared at him without answering, so he left.The next day, her food rations reduced significantly and it dropped to twice a day.She ate without complaining and slept most of the day or chatted with the Oomukade, whose name she now knew to be Luke.Once daily, she was let out of her cell and allowed to bathe and use the restroom for her needs. After which she was escorted back to her cell.While her body and hygiene remained clean, the rest of the dungeon stank. Most of the creatures here were not given the privilege of bathing and going to the restroom, so they just did their business in their cells, stinking up the entire place.On the fourteenth day, Smeden returned a
She had just fooled herself once again.The truth of his words hit her like a slap across her face.There was no lie in what he had said, she ran away from something good to end up here, in this terrible situation.Wayne never treated her this way. If anything, he had saved her from being brought here a long time ago, he had saved her friend also.It was now she knew what he had done for her, the important role he played as her protector, her shield, her safe haven.The first contract he made her sign was an act of respect for her free will. Even when he could have easily forced his will on her. Despite deceiving her he had protected her, taken care of her, and tolerated her excesses.Yes, he had hurt her in the end. But he was not perfect, neither was she.She really wished she had confronted him with the second contract, she should have given him the benefit of the doubt and talked things out with him. Maybe he had his reasons for drawing up such a contract.Communication was key in
"What?" He asked.She heard the irritation in his voice."No," she repeated, shaking her head."You will defy me, reject my offer, and deny me my desires?" he thundered as he swatted the nymphs away from him like flies.She bit her lower lip, unable to answer.He began to advance toward her, his face was hard as a rock and he was evidently pissed by her disobedience.She took a step backward and another. For each step he took toward her, she retreated. Fear made her skin crawl."I gave you a choice, to choose between comfort and captivity, out of the liberality of my heart. Yet you prove stubborn," his words dripped with anger.Her heart was in her mouth when she saw that her refusal had triggered him.What would he do to her? Surely, he would not kill her now, right?"Guards!" He yelled.In the blink of an eye, Smeden and another male appeared from around the corners and rushed to him."Take her and lock her up in the dungeons until she reconsiders my offer," he commanded.And just l