AMELIA ~FLASHBACK --- Five Years Ago - - - “ Lia. Answer me. They are accusing me of… ” He couldn't even say the word Rape. He could never do that to me, to any woman. He was not such a man. He was not so vile. He was an honorable Prince. The best at everything. He was a pro-warrior. He was the loved future King. He was the ray of light for the Kingdom of the East. But his trembling hands around my shoulder were a clear indication that no one had believed in him. They had chosen to believe my father and me. My heart was crushed inside my chest. I zoned out and the footsteps came near. This time, I responded to him. I picked up my head, a weird emotion flashed before my eyes and then, I was in his arms. My body was pressed against his chest and my arms coiled around his waist. Just for the last time, I wanted to know what it would be like to be in his arms. Everything was done already. There was no way I could fix it even if I wanted to, so for one last time, I wanted to

AMELIA Did I think I would ever confess my love for Tyson? No! Did I dare think he would reciprocate those feelings? Not even in my best dreams! However, I didn’t expect him to stare at me for so long that I started feeling like he was not even seeing me. His mind was elsewhere, but his eyes remained on me until I was forced to lower my gaze. And then, he left. Without saying a word or looking back. I caught my breath and stayed in his bed to regain strength in my legs. That took a whole night and half of the next day. Honestly, it was not even about the strength in my legs. It was about my heart which refused to stop hurting. I didn’t expect Tyson to say anything. I told myself repeatedly, but my stupid heart was not having it. When he didn’t return after so long, I finally arose from the bed and had breakfast that Elizabeth came to shove down my throat. After I was done eating, she made the maids take away the dishes and turned to face me. I sat at the edge of the bed, s

TYSON “ What did you do? ” I repeated, glaring at the blood. “ Ty—Tyson, my son. ” She sniffled, ending the distance between us and hugging me after five years. That was the only emotional gesture she used to openly show me before. She liked to hug me when things got too hard so I knew she was there. I froze on my spot and waited for my heart to stop hurting. My throat clogged with different emotions and the pain didn’t subside. This was the moment I had waited and yearned for. I hoped for the day when Mom would forgive me for the sin I had not committed, the day she would stop avoiding my eyes and my hands and me. That day was here, but… The coldness in my heart remained firm. My mind was too focused on the blood on her ring. “ She stole everything from us. ” She sobbed. “ how could she destroy us like this? ” That was another new thing. I had not heard her complain about people like this before. So maybe, I got used to not complaining to her either. “ She ruined every

AMELIATyson shook his head. “ I told you, Levian needed to deliver the souls of four other Lycan Kings to Lexusi to get the soul of his son back from the underworld. For centuries, he tried to make Lycans turn to his God. He used all means but he couldn’t even get one Lycan on his side. No one would ever dare to betray the Moon Goddess and lose their honor for anything in this world. ”But you did. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I didn’t say them. I licked my dry lips and glanced at my hands that were folded in my lap.“ He came up with an insane idea. He thought…he would kill all the Lycans and steal one child from each of them. Four sons of the Lycan Kings. He would raise them so they didn’t know the code of honor a Lycan was supposed to follow. When they would turn eighteen, they would automatically become the Lycan Kings. Then, he would make them turn to Lexusi. That’s how he decided he would get his own son back from the God of Blood and Gore. ” Tyson dropped on the

AMELIA “ Why can’t I catch anyone’s scent? ” I inquired. “ It was His Highness’ order. We had to drink the scent suppressor. ” The warrior informed. I looked at Adelia from over my shoulder, silently asking her the same question. She nodded, telling me that she was asked to do the same. I hung my head low and shook it. I didn’t even think that Dad might catch Adelia’s scent and this plan could go to the dumpster quickly. But Tyson did. He was helping me all the while acting like I was on my own completely. I didn’t know what to make of it. But, it drew me deeper into the black hole that was my love for him. My lips twitched as the warrior opened the door. The nervousness was gone, because I knew Tyson had my back whether he showed it or not. My eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the dungeon quickly. I searched the empty, stuffy room before my gaze halted in the corner where he was sitting, chained to the wall as I had been in Daniel’s pack. The door closed slightly behind