AxelThe smell of fresh blood hit me as soon as we walked, well Ray walked and I wheeled after him into the hallway where Lana's room was located. I wasn't fazed by the stench, my system already accustomed to the smell of fresh blood having spilled some a couple of times, but my mind kept replaying the fact that I knew this woman.Nothing prepared me for the sight I was met with as Ray opened the door to her room. He was right. I couldn't see this shit on a full stomach.Hanging from her leg tied at the ceiling, Lana was completely naked, her wrists amputated and shoved into her mouth.Her eyes, that was a different story. They were dislodged from the sockets, nowhere to be found on her body.Her body was torn with thorns, and the wounds were purplish and swollen..But the worst part was her neck. Her head was barely holding on to the rest of her body.The whole bed was filled with blood, her blood.Only one person could do this."Goddess," Ray clutched his stomach as he grimaced at t

Axel pov“Fuck!!” Isla’s scream rang out, piercing my ears as I stood just outside the door.This wasn’t the way to go, but Goddess knew I would do whatever it took to protect my kids.To protect her.My mind brought in more memories of Lana bent at odd positions, and my eyes widened. There was no way I was ever going to get used to that.“Sire...”“Sire?”I heard a distinct voice call out to me, and I snapped back to reality.The purple regalia and the stones that shone on the collar of this guard made me realize who had sent him - the council - and a frown came upon me swiftly.“What is it?” I asked, my voice absorbing the coldness that spread from my heart.Why were they sending their messenger?“Sire, the council extends their greetings,” he said and bowed, the stones shining even more as the sunlight hit them at different angles.I knew all the tricks of the council, and falter was a salty way to start it.“State your business or be gone from my sight,” I spat, and he quickly rai

ISLA'S POV.I didn't want to do this anymore than I had to.I didn't want to go out there, blessing the marriages of soon-to-be couples, but my children and my career were at stake, and I had no other option but to do what was asked of me.I looked at myself one last time in the vanity mirror before sighing as I turned around and walked outside, where an escort was waiting to take me to the throne room."The lady, her highness!" The announcer shouted, and the hall went silent.They all watched me walk towards the high table where Axel was seated, and then he, too, stood up to welcome me to his table, after which everyone dismissed my presence and continued to chatter.I sat down and avoided all eye contact with him. He wanted someone to sit in this chair, and here I was. Anything else was beyond me."Ladies and gentlemen! Let the ceremony begin," Axel said, and immediately, people started to dance and whisper.Drinks flowed like a river, and I kept quiet, the event reminding me of the

ISLA’S POV“What!” I cried into the phone as the words of my manager floated into my ears.The words.Crisp.Fire.Destroyed.“Can you hear me?” the manager asked, and I had to shake the glistening tears away from my eyes to get back into reality.“Whatever you do, don’t look at the news,” came his response, and goosebumps engulfed my body.“Everything will be under control, but I thought I would warn you first. Things are not looking rosy in the office right now, and your attention is heavily needed, but I can hold down my own just until you finish your leave. I can do damage control just until you come. Maybe it would have been a bit better if you came down last week? But I’ll handle everything, I promise,” he said.I didn’t give him a chance to speak another word, and I ended the call for fear of the worst.Damage control, he said.What control could he possibly have for such a ghastly calamity?Somehow, I knew this was my fault. If only I had gotten there last week, like he said.

ISLA'S POV"Are you ok?" Axel suddenly asked me, tapping my shoulder lightly.I looked at him and nodded my head, trying to pretend as though I wasn't hurting.Last night, after the awkward confrontation, Axel left me to go to a hotel, and Dante finally agreed to let me inside the house.I tried to start a conversation with him, but nothing seemed to be enough, and just when I thought I had gathered enough courage to speak again, he announced that he was going out and didn't return till morning.Axel had picked me up from the steps just as he had dropped me off yesterday. I had texted him and my manager earlier because I needed to know what exactly had been destroyed.I directed Axel towards one of my fashion storage houses, and the white smoke that forced itself into my nose made my stomach churn, but it wasn't from the intensity. It was from sadness.After he had parked, I got down from the car, and my eyes began to water.I walked toward the rubble, and my eyes made out a figure -