Louisa's POV
I turned my head away from Lucas to look at the dancer's performance. Having learned about the tragic origin behind the dance, I could easily tell the desperation and pain hidden behind the dancers' sophisticated moves. I had thought this kind of temptatious dance was performed for men’s pleasure by women, but I had never expected that it could be this expressive. The movement of those women's almost naked torsos was heavy because they were carrying invisible heavy barrels of gun powders. The thin long chains, decorated with all colors of sparkling gems, represented the shackles that they used to wear. They danced in a row because they used to be chained in a row. Stepped in one another's footsteps, they walked on the path of death. Decades past, their tragic horrifying death was choreographed into dissolute dance. No wonder people like Lucas are turned on by this kind of dance. I thought to myself. They thrive on people's suffLouisa's POV As I looked back at the girl, who was strangled by the snake, she had already stopped struggling. Her hands dangled down on the side of her body like a lifeless doll. I couldn't sit and watch an innocent life being taken, so I used all my force to kick the table in front of me. With a loud noise, all the plates of food and glasses of drink were smashed on the ground. The music ceased. At the same time, the snake immediately got off the girl's body and changed into a naked man. As he lifted his head to look at me, I gasped with surprise - "Darren?!" At the same time, I was grabbed from behind by someone. Just when I was about to protest, I heard Alpha Zackery's gentle and concerned voice. "Little girl, what happened? Did you get hurt?" I looked up and saw him holding me in his arms. I took a glance at Lucas, who was looking ferociously at me. At that time, I heard a wave of violent cough behind me. I
Louisa's POV "Not really. I'll escort this young lady back to the carriage." Alpha Zackery stood up as well, holding me in his arms. "Are you sure, Your Excellency? You don't get this kind of sport in King's Land." Lucas leered at him and asked. "I'm very sure of that." Alpha Zackery replied, walking me out of the tent. Lucas kicked Darren and walked out of the tent with us, followed by Lucian and Darren from a distance. I strained my ears to listen to what they were saying. "He's done with you, Darren." Lucian's voice was cold and blunt. "Master Lucian, please give me another chance..." Darren begged in despair. Lucian asked in a reserved voice, "When I got you back from the brothel, what did I tell you?" "You asked me to serve Master Lucas faithfully and I should always do what he has asked me to do." "So what makes you think that you can outsmart and betray him?" "I'm sorry, Mast Lucian... Please give
Lucas' POV "Did you kill all of them?" I asked Lucian. "Yeah." He replied absent-mindedly. "All of them?" I asked. "Yes. Seven dancers and ten musicians. All of them." He looked at me and said. He looked very distracted and annoyed. I stretched out my arm and slapped his face gently. "What's the matter? Where's the famous Lucian smile?" I asked. He slapped my hand away and said, "I don't feel like smiling." "Come on, dead people don't talk. Nobody will ever know about what we wanted to do." I said, taking up my bow and aiming at a running slave. They were wearing orange prey suits sewn to their skin, so it was easy to spot them in the greeneries of the forest. It isn't fair. I know. But let's just say life isn't a fair game, is it? Lucian said, "Zack started to get suspicious of you. And your woman is in his custody. Luke, I really don't think we should continue with our plan. You've been fighting
Louisa's POV Blanco stopped at the edge of the hunting ground. I patted his neck and said, "What happened old chap?" Blanco snorted and shook his head. "I can't go in there. They're flying arrows. It's too dangerous," he said. "OK. So you stay here and wait for us," I said. Blanco neighed, "What?! You can understand me?!" "Yeah," I said. I flipped off his back with Will and was about to get into the woods, but my hair was pulled by something. When I turned back, I saw that Blanco was chewing my hair. "Don't do that. That's my hair, not hays," I protested. "I know. But I can't let you get in there. You'll be shot dead and nobody can talk to me," Blanco said. "What is he saying?" Will looked up and asked me. I lifted him in my arms and said, "Will, I need you to change into mist and get in the woods to look for Darren. Blanco says there will be some flying arrows." "They won't get me. Don't wo
Louisa's POV "What is it?" I asked. "I can't tell you unless you feed me and stroke me." Blanco shook his head while staring at the grass next to my feet. I sighed and picked up more grass and put them into his mouth. His ears flicked back and forth, so I stroked them gently. "Can you tell me now?" I frowned and asked. Blanco munched and said, "I saw you before when you were little." "What?!" I was shocked. "What do you mean?" "When you were little, like this big." He shook his head from side to side, drawing the length of a forearm. "You mean when I was a baby?" I asked. "Un-huh," Blanco said and took another bite of grass. "But... Where did you see me? How do you know it was me?" I stroked him and asked. "I sniffed you at that time and I recognized your smell," he replied. I couldn't believe what I heard and said, "You were a little pony at that time. A lot of people have the same smell. I
Louisa's POV "What the fuck did you say your name is?" Lucas looked shocked. "You've heard me. Louisa Reeds. That's my real name," I replied. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. This shenanigan must end today. I thought to myself. Lucas flipped me over, lifted my chin, and looked into my eyes. His straight nose, chiseled jawline, and amazing dark blue eyes were stunning. He was so close to me. I could easily tip-toe and kiss him. How I wished I could hold his face and kiss him gently, like the way I kissed Finn. The sweetness of love and passion was rolling over and over, spreading all over my body, electrifying my heart. I know it was impossible to get his love. But perhaps, at least, I could steal a kiss from him before he rejected and killed me. "Do you want me to reject you now, Louisa?" He asked me. That was the first time he called my name. All the elements in my body were turned on. My body was trembli
Louisa's POV As I stood at the entrance of the stable, I immediately sensed the smell of blood and flesh. My heart was pounding so fast that it almost got out of my chest. I could feel that Will held me tighter. He buried his face in my chest and wrapped his arms and legs around my body. "Do you want me to hold him?" Lucian asked. I lowered my head and looked at Will. He was unconscious, with his eyes half-open and half-closed. He looked so sick. "It really wouldn't be a good idea to take him inside," Lucian added. He stretched out his arms and took Will into his arms. Lucas pushed me from behind and said, "Get in there now." I was pushed down to the floor. When I lifted my head, I saw Darren. Or to be more specific, I saw the remains of him. He was lying there naked in a pool of blood. The skin on his chest and arms was completely peeled off. His eyes were closed. I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.
Louisa's POV "Fucking bitch!" I jumped up, feeling the excruciating burning sensation coming from my hand. I looked at that fucking she-wolf, who was holding hand with that fucking warlock. What the fuck is wrong with her?! I'm fucking her right now, for fuck's sake, and she's holding another man's hand?! I canceled the imprint in my mind immediately. Her hand was severely burnt, but she still wouldn't let go. I waved my hand and tried to shift the pain away from me, but it was still there. Didn't she swallow the fucking ring? Isn't that supposed to block all her fucking feelings from me? I looked at that fucking she-wolf. She passed out because of the pain. So there's no fucking way to make her tell me what the fuck had just happened. That fucking warlock struggled to crawl to her like a fucking dog and held her in his arms. What the fuck is he doing? He wants to use his fucking torso as a broken shield to bloc
Lucas' POV "Fucking Kings and Queens! A bunch of mother fuckers and losers!" I shouted. Derek looked intimidated and turned his head towards Lucian. "Don't you fucking look at him! Nobody can fucking save you today!" I kicked him. "I should have killed you long ago! You're a fucking cancer!" He rolled on the ground for a couple of laps and coughed out some sticky muddy fluid from his mouth. "Master... I'm already dead... For a dead man, there's nothing on earth that matters... But my brother... He served you... I forced him to do a lot of bad things, but he was innocent... Please spare his life..." Derek said. "You have no right to negotiate anything with me! I'm going to let you witness I torture your brother to death!" I said angrily and grabbed his neck. "Now, break this fucking ice shield and give my fucking woman back to me. Give her back!" Then, I heard a faint voice. "Leave... my brother... alone..." It's Darren
Louisa's POV "What?!" I couldn't believe what I had heard. Pregnant? I'm pregnant with Lucas' child?! But, I have to tell Darren that I... Then, I heard a wave of hysterical laughter coming from Derek. "The prophet's true! The advent child! The Dark King rises! He who has Lycan, witch, and vampire's blood will marry his mother and be the tyrannic ruler in the Kingdom!" Every single word was like a knife, stabbing my heart. Was it a vicious curse? Or just some disturbing nonsense coming from a madman? Then, before I realized it, my ankle was grabbed fast by Derek. I tried to move back, but I couldn't. Frost started to spread all the way up from my feet at a fast rate. I didn't know what happened before my whole legs were sealed in frigid ice. "No! Stop it!" I saw Vincent and Will trying to pull Derek away from me. But they ended up pulling the remaining of his legs off his body. More sparkling ice w
Louisa's POV Vincent looked at me and didn't say anything. The look on his face was almost lamenting. "Vincent, where is Darren?" I frowned and asked. "He's inside," Vincent said. "But he's in a very bad condition. Miss Louisa, I have to brief you before letting you see him. You have to be prepared. The werewolves at the slave market tortured and humiliated him. His skin was badly burnt. His face was deformed. His head had concussions. He is completely shut down right now. He refuses to communicate with anyone and it seems that he has developed a certain mechanism to protect himself." Vincent took a pause and said, "It seems that he has lost his memory, Louisa. I doubt he will recognize you." "No... No!!!" I felt like I was struck by a bat or something. My vision was black and I fell to the ground. Vincent caught me and held me in his arms. The world was spinning in front of me. Something bitter was stuck in my throat. I curled up a
Lucas' POV "Lucian, I really should have told you about this... I really should have told you about it long ago. But I get this kind of feeling... you know, if I don't talk about it, then it means this whole thing has never happened... And Derek has never betrayed me." I said in a low voice. Lucian was silent. "Anyway," I said. "it wasn't very long until the Red Queen found out that Derek was just lying to get back to the Underground City. So the Red Queen was furious and wanted to kill him. You remember the time that I was summoned to King's Land. I was actually forced to go there to cast an imprint on Derek. I did it and I tortured him. But it was just for the Red Queen to know that I was her loyal subject. Then, I faked his death by sending a corpse back to his uncle. I was planning to hide him somewhere, but those fucking traveling druids took him away. I was enraged, so I took his brother Darren away from the brothel to replace him. I thought one da
Lucas' POV "How many secrets have you been hiding from me these years?" Lucian stared at me and asked. "I'm sorry, brother. But my woman is missing. And she might be pregnant with my child. Can we just focus on looking for her?!" I said. Lucian didn't say anything, he took the tuna head and got on horseback. Then, he rode off without saying anything. Oh, fuck. Now Lucian's not talking to me. Like I haven't got enough on my plate. "I have a good suggestion for you." I heard Finn's voice in my head. "What now?! Don't tell me shit like rubbing the back of his neck. It fucking didn't work," I said. Torrent snorted his nose, urging me to catch up with Lucian. "Fuck, Torrent. Sometimes I get the feeling that you're fucking riding me! You can get as fast as you can, I don't give a shit as long as my ass is still on the saddle. I'm busy having a conversation with my fucking wolf," I patted Torrent's neck and said.
Lucas' POV "What's on her fucking mind?" I said. I was really fed up with women in my life. They were so fucking unpredictable. Lucian said, "She's gone this morning after Louisa told her off in front of everyone. And we've lost contact with Kylo. He took away our best people and our soldiers in the camp were either killed or wounded. Louisa tried to treat some of the soldiers this morning, but it will still take a few days before they're fully recovered." "Kylo's fucking with me! He sent his fucking sister to mess up with my soldiers. His father was with me and he still dares to fuck with me! Why does he do this to me?! Why did he betray me?!" I kicked the grass on the ground and said. "I don't know. If you left that traveling druid alive, we could have asked him," Lucian said. "Stop blaming me! That fucking asshole was blabbing about my fucking identity in front of Louisa!" I said. "Why don't you just tell her who you really are?
Louisa's POV Derek put his hand into his pocket. Colt thought he was about to take out a weapon or something, so he stepped forward, trying to stop him. "This..." Derek took out an amber-colored stone from his pocket and said. "This is Amber of Star. I want to give this... to your friend. I got it from... Underground City. With this stone, people can communicate with the soul... of their beloved deceased ones... I'm sorry that..." "I don't want anything from you." Mata cried out. "You took away my brother's life and there's nothing you can do to make up for it! He's dead! You killed him! You took him away from me! I have been staying with my brother ever since I first opened my eyes, and now his eyes will never open again. He can never hold my hands when I'm scared! It's a big scary world out there and I'm always scared!" "But you can talk to your brother... As if he's still alive..." Derek tried to explain. "You just don't understand, do
Louisa's POV The fire spreading all over my body dimmed. I stared at Derek and walked closer to him. He looked panicked and desperate at the same time. "What's the matter with you?! Where's the fire?! I have just killed your friend! Why don't you kill me with that fire of yours?!" He barked at me like a mad dog. I didn't say anything but kept stepping closer to him. "Come on! Hit me with a fireball or something! Hit here!" Derek pointed at the empty void in his left chest and said. "Don't you want revenge on behalf of your friend?" I stood right in front of him. Still, I didn't say anything. In despair, he grabbed my arm and said, "Come on! Hit me!" "Where is Darren," I said. "Take me to see him." "You'll never see my brother again..." He said with a sadistic grin. Before he could finish his sentence, I strangled his neck. He didn't protest or struggle. Instead, he kept smirking at me. I did
Louisa's POV The smirk on Derek's face was gone and replaced by ferocious malice. "Let me correct you, Miss Louisa Reeds. Nobody is supposed to be dead. We were born into this world to live our lives and hug our beloved ones, not to destroy and manipulate other people's lives." He looked exasperated for a brief moment, but then he regained his cool. "I used to serve Lucas when I was young and vulnerable. He's such a hypocrite and he used my innocence and love for him to take control of me. He came into my life without notice. When he was gone, he took everything away from me, including my life... and he told me it was for my own good! He locked me up in a cave and let those monsters torture me to death! And is this for my own good?!" Derek pulled off his shirt and let me see his naked chest. I could see there was a hole in his left chest. The place where his heart used to be. I was horrified and stepped backward. At that time, I rea