DAHLIA:
“We will stop here tonight,” Lord Irvan said when we reached a clearing in the woods.
I slumped into the soft ground, not caring whether it was muddy. I was exhausted to the brim, having had to walk all day.
I remembered the times Tristan had carried me on his back. I hadn’t truly appreciated that gesture from him before, but it was really an act of love and kindness that I missed now that he was gone.
I wish he was still here. Even if he hated me and our baby, the sound of his voice still made me feel safe and comfortable.
Now there was only the barren feeling in my chest, the memories we shared together, and the image of his fading mate mark that was left for me to remember him by.
It hasn’t been more than ten minutes when I collapsed on the ground when someone tugged at the silver chain around my neck once more.
“Get up. We’re taking a bath.”
I met Samalah’s cold stares
DAHLIA: “Sister, if you had truly loved Tristan, please help me... Help me and the baby escape.” If desperation was power, then I would have been the most powerful wolf at that moment to have clung to my enemy and beg her for help! I knew Samalah had staged this revenge. There might be no way she would help me. It was a slim chance that she would, and I am clinging on that slim chance based on her emotions. I loved Tristan too. I loved him will everything I got, and I could feel that Samalah held the same intensity of feelings I had for my mate. She gave me a sharp and anguished look. Samalah turned her back from me again, but I held her hand. “Please… That spirit stone they speak of, it chose me. I wasn’t forced to take it in the auction house. If they hand me back to their leader, they would kill me and the baby.” “How dare you ask me for this? Do you know how sick I feel when I think that you had a love child with Tristan?”
DAHLIA: “Didn’t you ask me for help earlier? I’m going to give you what you want now,” Samalah said, shooting me a fierce look. “In exchange for this, however, I want you to give me your face and your entire body, Dahlia…” It was an absurd proposition. I didn’t quite understand what she wanted from me exactly… Does she want me to sell me? Is she asking for a body part, like a heart or a liver? Before I could speak, somebody came at the mouth of the cave we were staying in. It was the other rogue who stood as our guard earlier. He looked at me and Samalah and the dead rogue on the floor. “What did you do,” he said in wild frenzy. “Stefan, he frightened me… He went here unannounced, so I acted out of impulse,” Samalah replied as she hooked her arms around the rogue before us. Despite experiencing firsthand how Samalah could act deceitfully in front of other people, I was still positively awestruck to see her get moved to
SAMALAH: As soon as Dahlia said yes, I put my hands over her eyes, feeding on the power coming through our connection. My body started to itch starting from the center of my trunk until it reached the tips of my toes and fingers as I feel the fulfillment of our promise. “It’s done,” I whispered in a half-smile against myself. As soon as the spell had fully consumed us, I heard Lord Irvan’s mad calling. I pushed Dahlia away from the side of the road by instinct. Just a second away after this, Lord Irvan descended upon me. He grabbed my hair forcefully that I felt like my very scalp will tear away. “You b*tch! You dare run away from us!” He started to drag me back from where we came from. As my body was still weak from the magic that I had utilized, I could only thrash about in the mud. In the distance, I can positively hear the sound of horses. “No,” I screamed “Help me!” Just then, Lord Irvan turned towa
SAMALAH: The moment I opened my eyes, I was in absolute pain. “Ugh,” I moaned sharply as ample amounts of tears flowed down my cheeks. I tried to blink the pain away, but it didn’t disappear. Why?... Why was I in such terrible amounts of pain? It felt as if the ends of my digits were all dead. Dead… Just then, everything that had happened to me came flooding back in my memory. The last time I was awake, Lord Irvan was there. He kicked and punched me as if I was nothing but a mere rag. He was still hell bent on inflicting pain on me when suddenly someone pushed him violently from the left side… I remembered that he rolled around with a wolf for some time, and the next thing I realized, a blazing tree trunk descended from where I was slumped on the ground… I gasped as I tried to peer down at my body. That’s right. A burning tree came down on me, sending me into pain I never knew existed. My eyesight was still hazy. I trie
DAHLIA: I blinked and the girl in the water blinked. I turned my head from left to right, and she had done the same. I have stared at my reflection for a full minute now, but everything was as it was. Staring back at me as if it was really me was Samalah’s own face… I was drawn into the horror of what I was seeing. Goddess, what was Samalah thinking? Between the two of us, wasn’t she the one who have likely caused this? I was sure that the spirit stone couldn’t have had the power to change my appearance. Plus, she did say some really weird things before pushing me towards the side of the road. “My request – that you are giving yourself to me completely – say you permit it!” Was that why she made me say yes? Was this her idea of saving me?... “Hey, miss, are you alright?” I looked back from behind me, and finally, I saw the face of Efiro’s father for the first time. He had the same green eyes and long da
KAIST: My ears picked up the unfamiliar sound of an intruder in the nearby bushes. I hugged Dahlia’s body closer towards me. If this was another attack by those blasted rogues, I came in prepared to lay my life on the line. Just then, Dahlia started groaning. I cautioned her to stay quiet, but she didn’t listen. She pointed her bandaged arms towards the bushes where the sounds were coming from. What was she trying to tell me?... Just then, an enormous wolf as dark as the night emerged from the thicket. On his head, a dark violet rune glistened malevolently. I was positive I had seen this wolf before… In fact, I had battled with him back in Payn! I put Dahlia gently behind me and faced the wolf before me. “You rogue! Come closer if you want your death!” He was not just an ordinary rogue, for I am sure that he was just like me, a Shadow Rune wolf… “Prince Kaist,” he growled. “It’s me…” I cannot believe my
TRISTAN: “Don’t you remember, Dahlly? When I chased you inside a cave one time, we were able to do it. You loaned me your powers. We could do that again. I could help heal you.” That’s right. We didn’t need any doctors. If I could channel Dahlia’s powers and use it towards her, she would definitely feel better in no time. I thought it would make Dahlia light up with excitement. I knew she was suffering a lot too. But why did she tremble and look as if I just gave her a horrible idea?... “Dahlly, I know what I’m trying to suggest must be scary for you… Maybe it’s because you haven’t remembered it well, but I assure you, it would work.” “Ahhh,” she shook her head vehemently. “Why not? Don’t you want it?… Don’t you want to use your leg once again,” I asked, trying to swallow the lump that had formed on my throat. “Once you get better, Eva and us could run again. I know your wolf would want that… You can run freely again, away from
TRISTAN: I flinched. How did King Maurus know who I was? He smiled weakly. “I see my senses haven’t dulled yet… I never forget a face when I see one. Besides, you have a touch of your mother’s look, so it’s impossible not to see her in you…” “If you knew who I was then why did you rescue me,” I asked angrily. “Ah that… Out of guilt, I guess. I’m not as heartless as you think, kid…” The king’s nonchalant attitude sent me into a frenzy of emotions. “Not heartless? You killed my whole pack and kidnapped my pregnant mother, how heartless can you still get after doing all those things?!” Almost instantly, the visions of seeing my mother being taken away and my father being slain before my eyes came back to me, fueling my hate and anger for this person – King Maurus Lyon - even more. He looked back with somber eyes at me as if he was also having a bit of bittersweet memories replay in his head. “You’re right. I