Reyna's heart banged against her ribs. The distant thumps of drums and pandouras only increased her anxiety. The festivities had begun. Her mother and friend left her alone a while ago.
She replayed her mother's words again. There was too much information to process in so little time. As a child her mother would often take her to the forest for hunting. Once they spend two full-moons during winter, surviving the cold and the predators.
Now she has to leave everything behind with that little knowledge of survival. The cold blade pressed against her skin in the hip, constantly reminding her of its presence.
"It's time," Celia announced, her features grim, but Reyna could read the determination behind the gaze.
This is it. A ball of emotion tightened in her throat. Her heart lurched. She might never see her friend again. Her mission was to survive the winter and the uncontrollable beast. Only then she could make it to Selene. Even if she made it
Aluxious eyed the disgusting vampire with so much dismay, he'd never felt for anyone in his entire life of twenty-eight summers. Whenever he saw him, the bile rose from the pit of his stomach. His mother had passed away when he was just a baby and his father followed his mate shortly, making him the ruler of Selene. From there, it hadn't been an easy clear cut path. He'd battled fair share of overconfident and opportunistic males, who wanted the thrones for themselves. He killed to survive since he ascended the throne by default. Now as he watched the leeches brought in the females who'd been tending to him over the weeks of his confinement. Their loyalty to his ancestors had kept him alive. Aluxious had lost track of time in that shit hole. Wasn't it spring when he was taken? He frowned unable to remember. Inside him, the beast stretched its limbs. How long had it been? He clenched his jaws. The shift was going to be ugly––brutal. And my beast wi
Reyna couldn't believe what just happened. She stared at the woods for another moment. The beast had ditched her at the first chance he got. That big, fat, furry oaf just sat down, brought his hind leg up, and scratched her off. He fucking scratched and made her fall down. Then he left her there before racing into the darkness. She blinked, slowly pulling herself to her feet and rubbed her slightly sore butt. The jump hadn't been pleasant. She barely clung to his fur and was still reeling when he plucked her off. With a huff, she secured the leather satchel around her shoulders and grabbed the discarded blade. The rescue mission had gone smoother than expected. Since the beast had gone for Killian's throat first, their aim had been on saving the King. It threw them off their ground. It was her father, who finally managed to pull her son to safety. Reyna looked behind at the wall with a longing. Several times she had left those walls to explore
Aluxious slipped in and out of control throughout the journey. The beast wasn't strong like he used to be. That gave control to his human side once in a while. His anger snapped when he noticed the little Vampiress following him. She had no business here. He spared her once, but not anymore. He knew the leeches would follow and he set the trap, anticipating every moment. The stuttering heartbeat from within the fallen tree bark was hard to miss. She thought she was clever, but even the remnants of that animal weren't enough to mask her unique, feminine scent. Instead of engaging her like he wanted to, he jumped over the tree log and waited. The Vampiress trusted him like a naive fool she was. This prey can wait, but others can't. Aluxious knew he should keep running, the need for revenge forced him to stay put. He came here with a purpose. A purpose he didn't get to finish. Soon... The leeches unwittingly brought him a step closer to his goal.
The wind howled outside the little crevice they took shelter. This time they couldn't make it to the hideout. The sky unleashed its fury and hit them with thunder and lightning. Fortunately, for her the beast was there before she was ashes. He picked her up and ran to the nearest rock. He pushed through the crevice and they found the confined space was enough for both. The thick vines covering the entrance offered protection against the shower. Reyna didn't know how many days had passed. Because it was always dark. The beast shadowed her every step, keeping pace with her. Sometimes, he carried her as he sprinted to their next destination. They mostly traveled in silence. She'd come to like the beast more than the man. When his eyes weren't blazing red, he was always edgy. He'd snap at her as if he wanted to rip her into shreds. But when his eyes blazed, it was a different story. Reyna wondered which was his good side, the man or the beast. She conclud
Freya stared at the easel in front of her, at the recently finished painting. His amber eyes looked so lively that she felt a consciousness wash over her. Then tears blurred her vision.When Aluxious was here, he'd pose for her as she painted. Her gaze swept his usual seat, imagining for a while that he was there. It had been months since he was gone. No one knew what happened. They looked everywhere and even reached out to their enemies for help, but to no avail.Aluxious...where are you? She rubbed her chest above her heart. The gentle evening breeze unsettled her nerves. Another day ended with no news about him.In the distance, the sun was a huge ball of fire about to set for the day. It was one of those rare days when they got to see the moon rising at the same time as the sunset. The moon, appeared elegant and powerful in its own way."You haven't eaten anything since morning. Can I bring you some fruit?" Her personal maid asked.Freya shook
Reyna rolled on the makeshift bedding for the umpteenth time that night. The sleep evaded her. A few feet away, Aluxious lay on the cold stone floor of the cave. He refused to even take the animal fur she offered. Another two days had passed and they were stuck in the same place due to a severe storm. Her frustration mounted. Being holed up in a godforsaken place with a beast that barely talked wasn't how she imagined this winter. Staring into the nothingness of the dark while they waited for the storm to pass, she was bored to death. She tried to strike a conversation a few times and failed. What was her mistake? She couldn't fathom. It was he who initiated the kiss. And it was just a kiss. As a passionate and toe-curling experience it has been. She rolled to her side, giving him her back. I can be stubborn too. As days passed her task only got harder. Reyna suppressed a frustrated sob. Breaking down in front of him was the last thing she wanted. Silent tear
Aluxious listened to the sounds of the storm as he tried to tune out her restless breathing. He clenched and unclenched his jaw when she turned again. Why hadn’t he killed the vampire yet? Right. She said he needed her to get out of this wretched land. Her blood was an antidote. The floor was rough and cold. But then this was much better than the smelly dungeon cell. With only their biological clock to guide them, he felt like he had waited forever for the storm to pass. Outside the cave, the wind howled and the sound of hailstones hitting the walls was too loud that he couldn't rest. Fresh air assaulted his senses despite the violent storm outside. His motherland, Selene was much more pleasant. The seasons were never this extreme. The vampire stirred again and his thoughts jerked to her. It felt as if he could sense and see her in his mind’s eyes. He curbed the urge to rub his chest. Reyna had tried to talk to him several times, but he hadn't said a
Reyna and Aluxious trekked through the slopes of the mountain. The darkness and constant change in weather messed with her senses and send them in the wrong direction thrice. But she was able to find her way through the night again. It felt like they were trekking forever. After holing up for days or probably weeks, Aluxious insisted they keep moving before nature forced them to take cover. They had left the cave as soon as the weather cleared. Hunger gnawed at her stomach. They’ll soon have to find something to eat, which was a challenge given the weather. The animals went into hibernation during these months or hid in a deep hole to hide from the predators that roamed the lands only in winter. Exhaustion slowed her. Aluxious fell beside her, matching her pace. She could tell the Lycan king was hungry too. Luckily, she knew where some critters chose to hide. “A few miles north there is a dwelling place where you can find food,” she said, panting for breath.