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Desdemona hit her back on the pole and she fell hard to the ground. “Hum!” She moaned and rolled on the floor, struggling to lift her head.

He disappeared and appeared in front of her. He ground his teeth, querying in a low beastly voice. “How dare you?”

He hit the pole with his hand and it broke into two pieces. He grabbed her on the neck and slowly lifted her till he firmly stood on his feet, putting her up in the air. 

“How dare you take off my mask!” He growled.

“Following me is an offense, and I planned to cut your left foot and three right fingers for that, but you've done the worst and death is the penalty,” he informed. “You see my face, definitely you will die tonight,”

“Helpless wolf, do you know why you will die?” He raised a question that didn’t require her answer.

“It's because I’m mysterious… the last person who saw my face at dawn didn’t see the sunset that day,” he disclosed.

“Helpless wolf, I will be kind for once to let you say your last prayer. Be fast with it.” He permitted and slightly loosened her neck, giving her a space to talk.

Desdemona wore a big smile. “I’m grateful you will end my life soon.” She let out.

He looked at her and an unclear sound fled his mouth. “Hun!”

“Mr. Strong wolf, I hope this death will be an end to my ill fate,” she voiced out. “And I pray I won't have the chance to live again. I don't want to reincarnate.”

Hearing her prayers, a deadly grin filled his lip, and he carefully put her on the ground. 

She withered her forehead, confused. “What are you doing? Aren't you killing me again?” She questioned.

“Seems you've had a death wish before now. Do you really want to die?” He raised a question.

“Yes,” she  answered and rubbed her palms together, pleading, “please kill me now."

He smiled softly at her and hung his hands across his back. “Had it been you know how I operate, you wouldn’t have said your prayer.”

“How do you operate?” She inquired.

He sighed and answered in simplicity. “I’m dangerous…” 

“I prefer killing enemies gradually. I derive pleasure in making enemies feel massive pains,” he disclosed. “I threatened to kill you and expected fear to fill your heart and roam around in your face because that will be a source of joy to me, but I was wrong,”

“So, instead of wasting my time to kill you without getting any satisfaction, I will use my method.”

She raised her gaze and looked him in the eyes. “What will you do now? Will you roast and feed on me?”

“Roast you?” He let out, amazed. “That is too simple,”

“You are fed up with life, so death is a means of rest for you and you see that rest, I don’t want it for you because you sinned against me,” he proclaimed. “From now on, I will let you face a cruel fate and bedevil you until your last breath…”

He raised his hand and closed his eyes, sniffing the air. “Imagine how you will screech when I cut flesh from your lap and spread hot pepper on your wound…”

“Just a thought of it and I’m feeling great already…”

He looked at her face and wrinkled. “I can't wait to see the confidence in your face now get replaced with terror.”

“Why are you doing this?” She inquired.

He scanned her from head to toe, and seeing scars and wounds on her body, his interest in her grew and he wanted to investigate. “What makes you opt for death?”

“Because being alive isn’t worth it!” She yelled instantly as if she had been expecting the question.

He frowned his forehead, willing to dig deeper. “How?”

She placed her palms on the ground and a drop of tear fell from her eyes. “My life has been bitter right from the moment I was born. I never taste happiness. I'm always in pain and even the air I inhale is sorrowful!”

“I wish I was never born.” She uttered in a low voice.

He nodded and bit his lower lip. “It seems the goddess isn't nice to you. You only see the dark side of fate…”

“But helpless wolf, since death has been your long-term wish, why are you still alive till now?” He interrogated.

“When I was a kid, I thought a caged bird might have its freedom one day…” she answered. “I believed the goddess forbade my death for a reason and I looked up to this future which I thought hold my happiness…”

She scoffed, mocking herself. “I was once a fool.”

He had an interest in her narration and was eager to dig deep. “So, why do you want to die now? Are you tired of dreaming?”

“I realized my fate won't change. I'm already in the future I looked up to, and it holds an even more cruel fate than the past,” she explained. “It's better to die now than live longer in misery.”

“Then, why haven't you killed yourself before now?” He queried.

She stared deeply into his face and chuckled lightly. “Do you think I didn't try?”

“I used all my chances but death refuses to come my way. I invited it but it didn't honor my invitation,” she voiced out. “To make it easy, I didn't force my wolf or cultivate inner powers, I left my wounds untreated, hoping they would lead to death, but the wounds heal on their own.”

He exhaled deeply and placed his hand on the left side of his chest. “Your story touches my heart and I wish I can motivate you to keep living but I’m not sure if it will be worth it and I won't want you to blame me later if life becomes more cruel to you,” he sympathized.

“I’ve forgiven your sin against me and I sincerely want you to live. But ending your life now is the best option. Death should end your miseries.” He remarked.

“Thanks for being considerate.” She appreciated.

“Since I've forgiven you, I will let you die peacefully,” he proclaimed. 

He unbuttoned his shirt sleeve and rolled it, inquiring, “do you have a last wish? Let me know and I will grant it.”

Without giving his question a second thought, she gave a simple but hard answer. “Help me seal a curse on my mate.”

He stared at her. “A curse on your mate?” He repeated her words, surprised.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Why do you want to do that?” He interrogated.

“I’m wolf-banned so it's impossible to feel my mate. I am sure he has felt me. He ignored me because he is ashamed of me,” she stated. “I want to lay a curse on him so he will feel miserable for neglecting me.”

“Your wish is risky, but since it's the only thing you want, as a man of my word, I will do it.” He let out.

He raised his left hand above his head and a green thread appeared in his palm.

“A betrayed witch from centuries ago owned this curse thread. She was betrayed by her lover and best friend and she forged the thread with all her powers and heart blood which led to her immediate death,” he informed.

“Her cursed lover and best friend lived in miseries and spent their lives getting from one calamity to the other till their last breath,

“The curse is powerful and generational. After the betrayals’ deaths, the curse continued to inflict suffering on their generations, and to date, they are still suffering,”

He released the thread from his palm and it stood it in the air. “With this, your cowardly mate will never be free.  Not even in his next life,”

“Say your curse to it and seal it in you.” He instructed.

Desdemona lengthened her hand and the thread fell into her palm. She moved her hand closer to her mouth and silently said her curse to it.

She had a last glance at the thread and hit it on her stomach. And it vanished into her belly. 

“Are we good to proceed to the final departure?” He let out, emotionless.

“I’m ready.” She answered.

“If you have the chance to live again, choose a good fate,” he advised and jokingly threatened her. “But, don’t forget to repay my favor or I will turn your good fate into one worse than this and make you regret living again.”

She wore a soft grin. “I don't want to live again, but if I do, I’ll surely repay you,” she assured. 

“But sir, powerful wolf, did you know in the next life, your fate may lie in my hands?” She raised a question.

“Till then,” he said. He pointed his index finger at her and a glittering rope appeared round her neck. “Your life has been hell, so I will honor you by killing you with a powerful weapon I spent years to forge,”

“For being greedy to dream bigger while ending an unfulfilled dream, for wanting to live a greater life than me in your next life, I can't forgive that,” He proclaimed. “I'm sorry, your honorable death will be a painful one.”

“No matter how painful it is, it will end the moment I stop breathing. So, do as-”

Before she could complete her statement, he controlled the rope, and it tied her to the neck. 

The rope strangled Desdemona and became tighter every second till she couldn't breathe anymore and her eyeballs turned red.

She arrived at the bridge between heaven and earth and a hot last-minute tear fell from her eyes.

She climbed the bridge to the end and as she wanted to close her eyes from the world, a golden crescent moon appeared on her forehead.

The crescent moon shined bright and darted into his eyes. 

“What-” he looked confused.

Devour, his wolf, woke up and wanted to take charge.

He placed his hand on his belly to suppress Devour, because once Devour takes charge, he won't be able to use inner powers anymore.

“This isn’t the right time to wake.” He cautioned Devour, but for the first time, Devour refused to listen and put more effort into taking over.

“Calm down, Devour.” He persuaded.

‘I should calm down and let you kill our mate!’

He frowned his face, confused. “My mate?!”

“Yes. Your mate!”