003 - My name is Xena.

Morrigan smiled, and I tilted my head, staring at her with curiosity.

Meeting her now, she's nothing like what I've heard Lucian and his friends talk about.

There's a huge confidence in her, and a scary coldness in her beautiful purple eyes.

“You've got to be joking!” She said, shaking her head.

“I promise, we are not.”

“Lucian, is your nephew. Let's start from there. So I believe that you heard about him mistreating a stranger and decided to help the stranger get revenge on your nephew?”

“See the thing is –” she raised a finger, shutting me up.

“I'm not done. Secondly, we just met. And what? You want me to marry you so you can help me get revenge on your nephew which doesn't make sense. I've got two questions,” she folded her arms, “one: why on earth would you propose to a stranger? Two: why would you help a stranger get revenge on your family? What's in it for you?”

I exchanged glances with my brothers. It was Dante who stepped forward to answer her.

“Things aren't always what they seem, Morrigan but I'm sure you understand that well enough. What's in it for us? Let's say we are also after revenge of our own.”

“I'm gonna need more details than that.” 

“I think we should hold off on details until we are sure you are on board.”

Morrigan bit her lip, considering his words for a moment before she shook her head with that cold smile.

“You three are ridiculous and your offer doesn't make sense. So No! I'm going to pass. I do not need your help getting what I want.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned around and left us standing there.

“She is so —”

“—Yeah I know. She's got more than a backbone and there's something about her. Something dark that gives me goosebumps.” I finished turning to look at Asher.

“Or perhaps it's just the pain of losing someone close,” Dante responded, “we all know how that feels.”

Yeah, we surely do.

“Come on. Our brother would be looking for us right now.”

I nodded, “what are we going to do with the dead girl?”

༺༺♡♡༻༻

Xena's POV

I stared at the letter which had appeared in my purse during the party with a heavy heart.

I wasn't expecting a response from my mother so soon, but it wasn't even from her. With a shake of my head, I read through the letter again, for like the tenth time.

My dear lovely niece.

It's in joy that I received your letter and it's with a heavy heart that I am writing this response to you.

Your mother has fallen terribly sick - and has been for over a year now. But that's not all. She had named a new heir - Gabrielle. Your cousin and he is to succeed her if anything happens.

The realms will forever be your home and we are looking forward to welcoming you whenever you decide to come back home.

Your uncle,

Dan.

Uncle Dan.

Something was definitely wrong. 

Yes, the alarms in my head were going off for several reasons and it wasn't funny.

My mum was sick and she never wrote to me? Secondly, she hates Dan's guts. There's no way she would have named his son her successor.

My uncle Dan has always been a sneaky, greedy and selfish man.

And the goddess knows what on earth he has done and what's going on down there.

If he has access to my mother, that means something very bad which was very hard for me to admit to myself.

Uncle Dan has somehow taken over the realm within the five years that I was away.

I slammed my fist on the table angrily and shredded the letter to pieces.

There's no way I'm gonna have to sit around and allow that to happen.

But what could I do?

Mother took away my powers before I left and there's no way I could recover them unless - 

Oh there was one way.

Although I have never tried it before but…

An idea came to me, and without giving myself a chance to hesitate I got up from the bed and rushed out of the room with one destination in mind.

Luckily, the triplets were in their room when I pushed the door open without knocking.

They were seated around the table engaged in a deep conversation and their heads snapped when I entered the room.

“Morrigan?” Rhys called standing up. Although he tried to look calm, I can see how his body is tense - on alert. A very smart man.

“I was thinking about your offer,” I said walking closer to them, keeping my facial expression as neutral as possible, “so I'm going to agree but the terms will be tweaked a bit.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. First, I want you to tell me why you want to marry me and why you would support your Nephew being harmed.”

They exchanged quick glances and Dante spoke up first.

“We are three men on a mission for revenge just like you.”

“Okay?”

“Ten years ago - we lost our father, the Alpha and we…discovered that he was murdered by our elder brother just so he can be Alpha.”

I gasped, because well…that's shocking.

“Sure he doesn't know that we are aware,” Rhys cut in, “which is good. What we want is vengeance upon him and his household. We want our father's throne back.”

I shook my head, “yeah I guess that makes sense. But where does that come in?”

“Element of surprise.” Rhys shrugged, “one of the criteria to being an Alpha Is having a partner. No one would take the reckless triplets seriously if we do not in any way show responsibility by at least getting married.”

I tilted my head, staring at each of them as their words echoed into my head.

Three powerful men, with the same enemy as I. What are the odds?

“I will be your wife, for a year like you want. And I shall help you get the revenge you want, faster than you can imagine - but I want something bigger in return.”

“What's that?” Rhys asked, stepping forward, “anything and we will make it happen.”

I smiled, “you said it, Rhys. Don't regret later.”

Before he could respond, I ran at an almost impossible speed to his side and without giving him a chance to react, bent his neck and dug my teeth into his flesh.

The moment his blood hit my tongue, I moaned in delight and dug in deeper, sucking the blood that tasted so much like cherry.

But it wasn't just the taste.

No, it was the feeling that came with each swallow.

In no time, I felt something beautiful blooming inside me, rapidly forming and threatening to explode.

And when it finally did, I felt a familiar and immense power surge through every fibre of my being.

Only then did I release Rhys.

He collapsed on the floor and I turned to see his brothers on their butt too, staring at me with wide eyes.

Oops.

I must have accidentally pushed them with some of the new powers.

“What…the..hell!” Asher asked, standing up and I shrugged.

“I figured he'd be the most delicious one. No offence.”

“What have you done to our brother?”

I glanced at Rhys who was still on the floor unconscious.

“Don't fret it. He will be fine in the next couple of minutes. I'd say I'm sorry and I feel bad - but my humanity is off so I cannot feel a thing.”

The look on their faces was so amusing and refreshing.

“Humanity is off? What does - who the hell are you?”

I straightened my shoulders and smiled.

“My name is Xena Shadows - princess of the seven demon realms, and you three - my fiances- are going to help me take back my realm.”