[Zeve’s POV] “Ah! Amor…” His grip on my arm tightened. I dropped my gaze, trying to push him away from me. “Please let go. Why are you suddenly like this?” I stopped struggling and my body relaxed when he left me and stepped a few steps back. Holding my arms, I looked at him, panting. More than me, he looked confused. He looked puzzled and restlessly looked into nothingness. Tensing his brows, he glared at me. “Forget about it.” I gulped. I wanted to ask him about what I should forget, but didn’t. I was still scared of him. I stepped back from him, clenching and unclenching my fists. He walked to me, and I stepped back in a hurry. He held my wrist. “No!” I yelled. He glared at me. “Please shut up. You know better than anyone else, I am neither going to hurt you nor do something unethical to you. I am not in the right state of mind right now, so please obey, ok?” What other option did I have? I nodded. He gently wrapped his palm around my wrist. I walked behind him, looking a

[Zeve’s POV] He knit his brows, leaving my arms. Tilting his head, he said, “huh?” The barriers holding back my tears crumbled. “I thought I hurt you. I made you sad. Something I said… I don’t know what I thought… I thought nothing, or I thought so many things that I couldn’t choose what I thought and foolishly started searching for you.” I licked my lips and gulped, shutting my eyes. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I looked at him. His gaze hadn’t left me for a second. “I know you won’t trust me. I know you think I am lying, but you are right. I had no one to save me. Who would risk their life to protect me? Why would someone give their everything for me?” Sniffling, I wiped my tears. “I have always begged to be spared, and that is how I will keep living. Begging you to have mercy on me, to hurt me a little less if possible, it’s ok if you don’t. I will never complain about anything...” Tears flooded my eyes and streamed incessantly on my cheeks. He held my wrist and p

[Zeve’s POV] “Hmm, yeah.” Amor said with a slight nod. “Our Alpha has the same name. What a cruel coincidence.” “Alpha Amor Blaze. My goodness, I get chills just hearing his name. I have heard so many tales about his cruelty and mercilessness…” Venus said and Amor stopped eating for a while, then continued. He was calm even though they were talking about him.“But I think it is because of him vampires have come under control and our Arginieth, which was a hell because of those blood sucking creatures, is livable now.” Venus said.“That’s how kingdoms and rules of a kingdom work. Based on fear. Many have different opinions about him becoming the Alpha of such a large pack at such a tender age, but things he has achieved in just a few years of his rule are beyond commendable. Like his father couldn’t create a monolithic pack, but he did…” “But at the cost of so many lives.” Venus interrupted Zahir. “If you look from my point of view, nothing much has changed for women in our society.

[Zeve’s POV] The morning began, but what happened last night was like a stubborn hangover. His words kept on repeating in my mind. I was constantly thinking about him and it was annoying. His thoughts were supposed to fill me with rage, bitterness and an eternal bloodlust for revenge — they did. But something about those emotions building in my heart was strange, faltering and unfathomable. “Why did he teach me self defence out of blue?” I talked to myself. Questions were all over my mind, but I knew Amor wasn’t straight enough to give me a straight answer. He would make them twisted, might even lie. He was definitely not doing all that for me. Deep down, I knew he had some ulterior motives. How can teaching me self defence help him? I thought, peering outside the window as the grey clouds took abstract forms with the dark clouds. I was sitting on a chair. “It all started after I told him I wanted to see the day. Or maybe not? Tsk! Why is he doing what he is doing? Does he not

[Zeve’s POV] The next day, the four of us set out for Phantoria. It would be a long journey, so Zahir and Amor agreed to hire a public carriage. All Amor did was sleep for most of the journey, while Zahir was reading some kind of book. The book had a red cover with beautifully calligraphed golden words and design on its leather cover. It was in a language I didn’t understand. Venus kept talking to me about various things. Most of the time I tried dodging her questions and the other times I had to make tricky answers so that what I said wouldn’t be a lie, but not a complete truth either. I had learnt this from Amor when he answered about his profession to Zahir. We travelled for two weeks. Stopping now and then in inns and resting before setting off on the journey. I could tell one thing for sure — Amor might have said this journey was a pre marriage ritual, but all he wanted to do was sleep day and night. How could a man sleep so much? He woke up to eat, freshen up or to get me