65LUCIEN’S POVI left with the woods in sight, running as fast as I could because Monica was crazy and would do anything to hurt Adria. Thinking of it, the look on her face on the night we spoke before Adria went missing wasn’t one of hurt.It was an expression that got stronger and stronger with each word. Looking back at it, it seemed she was making the decision in her mind while I did the talking and there I was over the last two days, thinking happily that she had left New Orleans because I had told her to.My guts told me she had done serious preparation to kidnap Adria since I wasn’t sure she’d ever had to kidnap a person before.People I passed by stared at me in surprise as it was quite uncommon to see a grown man like me running all by himself. It wasn’t even the time where people working out were many on the streets, but I didn’t pay them any attention, all that was on my mind was thoughts of Adria.My feet crunched on dry twigs and leaves as I ran through the forest, pushi
66MONICA’S POVThe fear in Adria’s eyes had been delightful as I held up the instrument with which I was going to burn her skin and she had looked up at me, shaking her head and trying to speak but of course, couldn’t because of the sweet tape I had spread over her large, promiscuous mouth.She had continued to shake her head and the sound of her muffling had become louder.“Shut it!” I had snapped, leaving my sweet instrument of torture in the fire. “If you had not been so greedy, you wouldn’t have taken my man! You should at least have a sign to remind you of your wayward ways? He’s a damn professor. He’s not your age. There is a huge age gap and he has a girl he is meant to marry and… what? You think you can just come in to the scene and snatch him away? No way, darl, tough choice because I’m going to make you regret every single thing you’ve done.” I had promised and left the cabin to arrange my things so I could leave.I was very sure she would give in, sign the papers and let m
67ADRIA’S POVAs I watched her horrible transformation into her half-shift form, the scream finally left my lungs, loud and powerful, but they were unable to make it out because my lips were sealed.Monica was a wolf? How on earth could that be possible? How could it be possible? I needed a lot of time to think and assemble my thoughts but Monica didn’t even wait for me to finally accept the huge and shocking revelation she had just revealed to me. She looked horrible, and I didn’t know what I had felt when she was about to burn my leg because I recognized what I felt at the moment as fear.Real fear, strong and powerful and fearful itself.My chest was heaving heavily and I was barely breathing as my eyes stayed fixed to the floor. Knowing that I was dating a werewolf was a little bit unnerving, but with Lucien, it was okay. He made me understand that they weren’t vicious creatures like the novels made them to be, and that was because he was attracted to me but with Monica, it was a
68LUCIEN’S POVI and Zayne made our way to the police station without saying much to each other. We were simply too drowned in our thoughts, and confusions to talk.If we wolves couldn’t find Adria with all our heightened senses, could the police find her with all their men? We got to the police station and walked in to file the report.“Missing person?” The man we asked, repeated. “Since when have you noticed it?” He asked.“She didn’t return home last night and she didn’t any classes today. Her phone is switched off and as of now, no one has been able to reach her. She’s not the type to do this.” I explained and the man looked at me calculatively.“And who are you to her?” He asked, and I hesitated because I and Adria’s relationship wasn’t exactly something that could be understood. Even though I looked young, she was way younger and if they knew I was a professor at the college she attended and was taking her classes, they would report it to school authorities because it was not a
69LUCIEN’S POVThe next day when I walked out of class, in the afternoon, Adria’s friends walked up to meet me.“I’m really sorry, Professor Lucien but we are going to have to report this to the police.” Stacy said apologetically like they would be offending me by informing the Palace. “Adria’s mum went on a day’s business trip thinking Adria had decided to rebel and spend the night out without telling her, but she was really scared when she returned early this morning and couldn’t find Adria. She called us up and when we told her Adria was missing, she nearly went nuts. We had to lie to her that the police were on the case, and I feel we’re betraying Adria by not reporting this to the police. She’s probably so scared, and sad right now.” She explained, looking at her shoes.“I already did that.” I told her and they all looked at me in surprise. “I and Zayne searched the forest and the street she went into but found nothing some decided we had to let the police know about it since it
70LUCIEN’S POVThe door pushed open and Zayne came in looking weary.“Nothing?” I asked even though it was quite obvious. Zayne had decided to search for Adria in other places and he had told me to stay in case anything like her escaping happened or if any other clue came in, and it had been agony waiting.“I searched almost everywhere. I just couldn’t find her. She just… she just seems to have disappeared from New Orleans completely. The unoccupied buildings, warehouses, everything… I checked it all. I asked people if they’d seen her but it was all useless. Some said they knew her but not her whereabouts. I checked out the place I was told she frequented, and it was the same thing.” Zayne informed me as his tired legs made their way to the sofa. He plopped down on it in exhaustion, and heaved a heavy sigh.I hit the dining table at which I was seated and the food items on it jumped up at the force which I had hit it with.“I met her mother. She was also searching with the police. Th
71LUCIEN’S POVI stood there breathing heavily, fingers dipping with Monica’s blood, staring at her lifeless body. There was nothing more I could do. She was gone and nothing I did would bring her back. I had killed her and she had deserved it. Adria’s death was all on her, and so she had to die, and she had.I trudged lifelessly to Adria who was laying on the ground, bleeding uncontrollably. Tears filled my eyes as I knelt and touched her. She was cold, and my heart ached. Killing Monica had not been enough, it had not been enough to quench the burning feeling inside of me. Everything had suddenly seemed like a waste. Why hadn’t I thought of trailing Monica?“Mummy…” A faint voice whispered, and my head whipped all around, wondering if someone had seen what had happened. “Mum.” The voice whispered breathily and in shock I realized it was from Adria. She wasn’t dead!“Adria!” I called as I picked her up into my arms. Her lids fluttered open slowly and weakly and I held her close to m
72ADRIA’S POVI didn’t know if that was what dying felt like but I did know that it was peaceful and at that moment, dying didn’t seem so bad. I had seen everyone. My mum, Lucien, my best friends and Monica was dead and I hated the feeling that made me feel I was going to be weak forever.Just when I let go completely something burning hot was poured through my lips. It was so hot that it spread around my tongue with an intense, burning heat and traveled down my throat spreading the heat there.My eyes flew open and I started to cough hard. I saw my mummy with one of her little herb bottles in her hand, staring at me with the definition of worry on her face. She dropped the bottle hastily and placed both hands on my cheeks.“You are not going anywhere! You will survive this. You weren’t found just so you could die on me! So, listen up Adria. You will go through it all. You will come out victorious, do you hear me? You’re not allowed to die.” She said, holding my cheeks tight and I wa
127ADRIA’S POV.I took it out, and happiness flooded my heart. The happiness I had felt when I had received it.The fact that those memories could be happy memories that I wanted, brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t remember. Why? Why was I feeling so happy just by seeing a tumbler?Then, as I kept on studying it. The memory had become clear. Lucien had given me the tumbler. I turned to him wondering why he would give me a tumbler, smiling when we were enemies, and then, I recalled his name.With the recollection of his name, everything suddenly hit me like a blast. I recalled lots of faces, and everything about me. I became myself.How had I lost control, and killed those helpless humans? How?And why was I about to kill Lucien?“Lu… Lucien.” I called, but it was so hard to speak. My throat was dry, and unused. He looked at me with relief, and joy flooding his eyes, and I tried hard not to break down.“Lucien.” I called again, and my breath came out in hitches. My hand found his fa
126LUCIEN’S POV.With the speed of lightning, Adria appeared to me, staring at me, with lasers in her eyes. The wolves made to attack, but I held up my hand once more.“No interruption.” I instructed, and Adria struck, trying to slash my neck, but I dodged, and took hold of her hands, turning her the way I always turned her, whenever we fought.“Adria!” I called, but she easily broke out of the lock I had her in, and managed to slash my right arm.It was a deep gash, but that did nothing to me. I was already healing. She thrusted, and I parried. We carried on with that pattern for a long time because I didn’t wish to hurt her, but she became even more violent.“Adria!” I called once more, but she didn’t budge. She raised her claws to slash my neck, but I bent, and wound my leg around hers.She fell backwards, but made it to her feet quickly in a backward roll. “Adria!” I called again, trying to bring her to her senses, but she was too restless, and too fast.It was obvious she was st
125LUCIEN’S POV.I wasn’t the only one, who felt it. Everyone felt it. The wolves, Lycans, and the vampires too.The odd sensation that filled the air. Like something was coming.They all paused one after the other, looking around. So did the wolves, and the Lycans.And it felt like I already knew what was happening, but was too scared to admit it.The vampires on the right began to part, and about half of them bowed, while the other vampires looked irritated.Out of their midst, on the clear path formed, after they all separated, came Adria.The white dress she was wearing was tattered, and covered in blood, but that did nothing to diminish the aura around her, and it didn’t stop her from being beautiful.She walked confidently with her eyes red, and flaming.Her dark claws were out, and longer than I remembered. They looked like they could claw out the human heart in a matter of seconds.It felt like she commanded the air. It hung around everyone, with a feeling of doom. She had fi
124LUCIEN’S POV.“I’m thinking the same thing as you are.” Zayne said, confirming my suspicions.“You think Adria’s the one behind the missing people?” I asked, looking around for the remote controller.“Exactly what I think, and as for the rebel vampires… We’ve finally heard news of them.” He added, and I stopped my search for the remote controller.Watching news I had missed out on, was no longer important at the moment.“Tell me. What are they planning?” I asked.“They are creating an army large enough to defeat all the wolf clans, and humans, together.” He answered, extending the papers embodying his research.“How is that possible? How big would an army have to be to defeat the wolf clans, and humans alike?” I asked, taking out the papers, and skimming through.“A thorough investigation has been done. They’ve sought for vampires all over, and they’ve also turned some humans who have a strong will to kill. As we speak, they’re getting stronger in numbers, and enslaving the vampir
123ADRIA’S POV.I was being sincere. I was tired of fighting, and fighting endlessly. Before it ended in the death of one of us accidentally, I wanted him to close his eyes, and kill me.That was the solution we’d been ignoring. He didn’t want to kill me, with his hands, so he’d been avoiding it.“You’re someone I know as brave. It’ll be over very soon. I’ll rise again, and even if I forget you, my heart won’t forget the face it beats for. When I come to terms with who I am, and accept that I love you, things will be alright again, so please, Lucien. Please…” I begged, still holding his hand to my neck, but he withdrew it, and sighed.“How do you expect me to kill you with my hands…?”“Just do it! Do it! I’m sick of our clashes repeating itself over, and over. Aren’t you sick of it too?” I asked, getting to my feet, and looking at him straight in the eye.“Damn, Adria. We need to think.” He said, placing his hands on the wall next to him, and bowing his head.“We’ve done all the thin
122ADRIA’S POV.I felt sad, and distraught. What thick darkness was threatening to cover our light?Athena went back to tending to Lucien’s arm, and I watched her.“So, what have you come here for?” She asked softly, dabbing ointment on the wound.“Um… we keep on fighting each other. I’m a vampire, and he’s a werewolf.” I replied, watching her intently.“Of course, you keep on fighting each other more than the average wolf, and vampire would fight.” She replied, dropping the wool, and ointment.“Why?” I asked, and she got up from her stool, placing a hand on Lucien’s shoulder, and holding his arm with the other.“Because you both are the strongest of your species.” She replied, setting Lucien’s arm straight, in a single motion.Lucien didn’t make a noise, but the way he squeezed up his face, and looked away, suggested that it had hurt.“What a fine young man.” Athena replied, and moved to me, starting with my head. “You’re the daughter of the vampire Queen. A pure-blooded vampire, an
121ADRIA’S POV.Hope flooded my heart like never before, and we began to make our way, towards the shore. Lucien still couldn’t move his arm, so I had to take him all the way out of the water.Finally, I got out of the water, and pulled him out too.We panted hard, and looked at each other, with sparkling eyes.It had been done. We had survived it. At least that was if there were no more obstacles for us, on the way to Athena’s house.“I think we made it. Athena will grant us a safe path home, after she answers our questions. Lucien! We actually made it!” I squealed, and threw my arms around him.“It’s still too early to celebrate. Let’s get there first.” He replied, stiffly, and I immediately withdrew from him.His shoulder was swollen.“Lucien, did you…?” I was asking, and he began to walk away.“It’s not my first time having a dislocated shoulder. It’s fine. I’ll set it straight.” He replied, dragging himself, tiredly.“Hey. You… you shouldn’t have… you shouldn’t have covered for
120ADRIA’S POV.Fear gripped me hard in my chest, as I watched the large creature. Never, in my life, had I ever seen a creature as large as that.The worst thing about the giant octopus was that it seemed to have eyes everywhere on its body.“Damn.” Lucien muttered, and immediately turned around, pulling me with him. “Swim.”I began to swim, but it was hard. Already, my stomach hurt. The leaves, and cloth Lucien had used to cover my wounds had slipped off, and I wasn’t supposed to be in water, with such a would.Swimming forward was our only option because the water didn’t let us get anywhere near the shore.Just then, a large tentacle landed right between Lucien and me, with a large splash, and we were both driven apart by the force of it.I landed on another tentacle, and my heart threatened to burst out.“Adria! Use your claws!” Lucien said, as I began to rise out of his reach. I got up from the slowly rising tentacle, and tried to jump down, but another tentacle caught me, and w
119LUCIEN’S POV.Things were beginning to get worse. I didn’t know if we could outrun eagles when we were running at human speed, and I feared greatly for Adria who was injured.“Let’s run!” I whispered frantically, even though the eagles didn’t need to hear us to chase us.We began to run, and she winced continuously as she did. Honestly, I was also scared. Not just for myself, but for her. Even though I had promised her mother that I’d bring her back safely, the thing that scared me most was losing her.When she had been dying from my slash the other time, it had felt like the whole journey had ended, and I had lost her, but thankfully, I was able to save her.“Can you run? Will you get on my back?” I asked, holding her hand, tightly.“No, I would rather not slow you down. Besides, if those eagles sweep down low, I’ll be injured first.” She teased, and we continued to run. It was harder because we had to climb, though.Had it been on level ground, we could have been a bit faster. T