TRISTAN:
Albus and I were very desperate. He started to summon Dahlia’s wolf through our mind-link.
‘Eve, where are you?!’
There was no answer, of course. What did I expect? Why should she return to me after what just happened? If I were her, I wouldn’t come back to a monster!
I ran wildly into the path before me, feeling her heart against my chest. I did not tell Samalah about this, but right after I casted that mark tampering spell, I started to feel something weird inside my chest.
It was as if something else was beating inside my rib cage alongside my own heart. It took me a few more days to realize that it was Dahlia’s heart.
I didn’t know if it was an aftereffect of the mark tampering spell. As far as I know, the spell should only work physically by creating an illusion of a fated mate’s mark on one’s body. Feeling a mate’s heartbeat was supposed to happen only between real mates. W
KAIST: I was in the midst of a hunt when a strong smell of blood mingling with honeyed milk and cherries filled my head. I was about to drink at the spring in the middle of the woods, but I staggered. Am I hallucinating? Why can I smell Dahlia’s scent here at the heart of the woods? It has been a little more than two months since Dahlia failed to show at our wedding. I resented her for it. Since then, there was no night when my heart did not throb and ache for her. I knew that she was with that scoundrel Tristan somewhere, but what can I do? She had expressed her love for him countless times in my presence before. She had begged me to stop the wedding to be with that wolf, but I was the one who didn’t listen… I was the one to be utterly blamed. News would sometimes reach me in the capital on how Dahlia and her new husband were doing. I didn’t need to hear it. I can sense her state of mind despite the distance that loomed between us. For the fi
TRISTAN:“Dahlia, don’t leave me… Don’t leave me please!”My wolves and I reached inwardly to the core of our power – our spirit stone. I felt the pain in Albus’ forehead intensify as my spirit stone took form physically, making the diamond-shaped rune in my wolf’s head apparent. This was an indication that I was using my powers to the extreme.I was once told by my dad that the power of the sprit stone was dangerous, so I must always exercise caution. However, that does not apply at this moment. My mate was losing her life! I won’t permit it! I can’t let anyone else die because of me!‘Tristan…’ I heard Dahlia’s voice speak inside my head.‘Dahlia,’ I said back. I was trying to contain the relief I had felt when she uttered my name. ‘Dahlia, forgive me! Don’t die on me…’‘Why,’ she whispered back through our
DAHLIA:“It’s too bitter,” I said as I sipped the greenish liquid in my cup. I hated drinking anything that’s bitter, but Tristan stroke my head to coax me into finishing it like a child.“Just a little bit more… Just two more sips, and it’ll all be gone.”I made a nasty face as I braced myself to take in another sip. It didn’t taste any better on my second try, but I gulped down and held it into my mouth until not a drop was left.“Yuck! Remind me never to get this medicine again…”Tristan’s face looked agonized. He unwrapped what looked like a small treat in his hand and held it before me.“What’s that?”“It’ll take some of the bitterness away,” he said timidly.He held it into my mouth, and I had no choice but to take it in. It was a piece of chocolate, and it tasted very nice after that awful medicine.
TRISTAN:I looked at Dahlly’s expression, and I knew she was serious when she told me she wanted to talk.There was no way I could escape her questions, and because of what I had done, I had no choice but to face them. After all, I did owe her some explanation and apology.But how come she knew the right buttons to push? Why does she remember the things I was trying so hard to hide from her?When she asked me about torturing people, I panicked internally. At that time when I said it, I was referring to my enemies – the people who had caused my mother, father, and the rest of the Shadow Rune pack to perish, and somehow, in one way or another, Dahlia might be part of them…Because she might really be the one who had caused my mother to lose her life, she might really be one of them, and for that, I was deathly afraid.I considered masking my answers with lies, but looking at her earnest light blue eyes, I was finding it extr
DAHLIA:“Thank you, Lina,” I said as my attendant put down two cups and a pot of hot tea in our midst. I wanted something cold given the weather, but Lina insisted that I take in something warm since I was still in the process of recuperating. Of course, Kaist agreed. They always agreed to torture me under the guise that everything was for the sake of my health.On the second day of my recovery, Kaist really did show up at the villa. Tristan said he was going to do something in his study, and he left me alone even before Kaist came that morning.Now, I was the only one who has to endure being put in a tight spot…I took the cup closer to my lips, taking time to blow the heat of the liquid away. I was grateful for the temporary screen that the mist was giving me as it obscured my face away from Kaist.The last time we saw each other in the cave, I was deathly embarrassed. He had seen me in such an embarrassing and vulnerable state
KAIST:I sighed deeply as soon as I left Dahlia’s sight.I came here to see if she’s alright. What was I thinking then by making Dahlia cry?My initial thoughts were wrong... I thought I could look at her again and treat her as I nothing had happened between us, but my feelings came crashing down on me as we spoke.Why was I the only one to suffer from such feelings of an all-consuming love? Even when I moved closer to Dahlia, even when she touched me and I touched her, nothing changed in her demeanor… Why?..Cruz whimpered inside of me. I wanted to break down and crumble in her presence too, but I can’t.How can I explain to Dahlly that she is our mate? How can I tell her I loved her since the beginning and until now when she could not even recognize this throbbing heart beat in my chest?The moment I found out that Dahlia couldn’t feel our bond, I was stumped. How can that even happen? Was there a fluk
TRISTAN:‘That boy… He’s no ordinary wolf.’I didn’t need Albus to tell me that. I could clearly see what he meant.I was worried what that cocky prince would tell Dahlia, so I projected Albus using my powers to eavesdrop on their conversation. Little did I know that this blasted prince will discover him.As far as I know, only a sorcerer could recognize his kind… If that is the case, that prince maybe more special than he seemed.I pondered for a while. When I made my investigations about him back then, he didn’t seem to be of suspicious origin.His father, King Maurus Lyon, was of noble birth. They had headed the White Fang Pack for generations now, and their family never married to any outsiders...Then, does it mean that this prince’s ability to sense magic would be innate, wouldn’t it?‘Let’s just be careful around him from now on. He saw us use my powers
TRISTAN:As soon as Samalah disappeared from my sight, the carriage halted. I went down from it and was stuck in awe at the sight of the grand palace of Talandor.The palace itself was bigger. Before me was the large marble façade of Talandor’s Great Hall of Justice. This was the only part of the palace that was accessible to outsiders like me.As expected, the security in this part of the palace was heavily laden, especially today as the peace talks are about to take place. In fact, before we could enter the Great Hall, Gideon and I had to undergo a thorough inspection by the palace guards. Weapons were confiscated by the knights, and those who disagreed to follow the protocol were not allowed access inside.“You may enter now, Lord Abell,” the knight escorting us said after we were carefully inspected.Before we can even enter, however, we heard someone’s outrageous voice nearby.“And who are you to tak