Lavi throws Anna on the bed. She winces as she lands on her back, feeling feverish by the Heat.
“You should have listened to me and returned to the castle!” He barks at her. “Listen to me for once!”
Anna is irritated by his nagging and becomes defensive.
“I did not know that I was in Heat!” She snaps at him. “I never felt like this before!”
The Heat is a state which only the female counterpart will experience once they find their mates. If they are not marked or rejected, the Heat will affect them every month.
“Tell me your name and I will reject you,” Lavi offers. “You will escape the Heat then!”
Lavi quickly looks out of the window and sees several men who are lighting the inn on fire. He catches a glimpse of Damien who is standing with them. There is no doubt that the plot has been hatched by Phillippe and the men standing with Damien are not soldiers but rogues from the area who are going to kill him.He swiftly turns back at Anna who is coughing hard. She is looking confused but is determined to get out of there as well.“Did you know about this?” he demands.“No!” Anna claims. “I had no idea that there is a plot to kill you tonight!”“Lavi, I think she is speaking the truth!” Airen says. “If she was lying, she would not have stayed behind when you told her to leave.”
“Watch it!” Lavi scolds Anna when she nearly stumbles on a branch.“I cannot ‘watch it’!” She sneers. “I am blind, remember?”“You manage to walk around my castle just fine!” He snaps back.Anna takes a deep breath. “That is because I have the place memorized,” she says in a way as if explaining to a child. “This oasis is new to me. It will take me some time to memorize.”“Quite bold of you to trust me in this place,” Lavi mutters.“Trust? Absolutely not! I just happen to know that if I am hurt, you will also be hurt. Which means you have to keep me safe.”Lavi scowls but An
*A while ago*Anna sighs to herself as she finds her way towards the pool. She nearly slipped a few times but managed to balance herself. The ground is damp with water and the stones are hard to walk on.“That brat should have at least offered to help you find the pool!” Thena snarls inside her head.“As if he will help another person,” Anna mutters. She raises her hands to feel the walls around her, guiding herself until she slightly bumps into the large boulder. Slowly walking around it, she can smell the scent of fresh water in front of her.Anna searches for a stone until she finds one and throws it into the water.“It is quite deep,” she remarks. Maybe I should take a bath,
“Oi, wake up!”Lavi’s voice breaks Anna’s sleep and she slowly stirs. She opens her eyes to the eternal darkness and sighs.“It is morning and the storm has passed,” Lavi tells her. “We need to go.”Grumbling a little, Anna yawns and stands up. She stretches her body while Lavi is preparing to push the boulder away.The sun is shining brightly, illuminating the vast desert in front of them. Lavi peers his eyes to see if anyone is around but there is no sight of life. The sandstorm has brushed a lot of the sand in their direction and it will be even harder for them to walk under the hot sun.“I have managed to stock up on some of my magic,” he murmurs. “Bu
By the time they reach Astra, it is nearly evening. Lavi and Thena enter the town which is lit by thousands of colorful lanterns all lined on strings tied high along the roads. There are houses made of bamboo and mahogany with curtained windows but the curtains are so thin that one can see the shadows in the rooms.Several women in skimpy dresses are eyeing Lavi, his handsome features prominent even though he is wearing a makeshift eye patch over his blue eye. They are omegas or human slaves who were sold off to the p*mps at Astra to make a few bucks from the flesh trade.“Hey honey, wanna get some tea at my place?” One of the women hoots at him. Lavi ignores them and keeps on searching for his master who might be in the town.Thena is also keeping an eye on him, wondering if Lavi is go
They enter the Den which is buzzing with people. Anna can smell the familiar stench of stale beer and onions in the air and hear the chatter of people all around her. Occasionally, she can catch the scent of human slaves who are forced to do the bidding of werewolves who treat them with disdain. Lavi scans the dark bar for anyone who might recognize him.The bar is notorious as a brothel as well with patrons frequenting the human slaves who are captured and imprisoned there. Several of the humans have accepted their fates and are entertaining the guests as they gamble and drink. A large bar is placed in the middle while several dancers in skimpy clothes dance to entertain the guests. They move their bellies in a sensuous manner, sometimes even dancing intimately on the laps of the men.One of the dancers comes up to Lavi but to his surprise, he feels noth
“Anna, this is going to end badly,” Thena whispers in her head. Anna does not reply but is tense as the men gather around to play a game of dice. Lavi and John are seated opposite to each other, both men looking intense.John’s eyes flicker at Anna every now and then. She knows very well that the man is lusting after her and the very thought makes her body shudder. He leers at her disgusted look and is determined to win.“I’ll go firs’,” John says. “‘Ules are simple. ‘E ‘oll the dice. ‘Hoever ‘olls the ‘igher number wins the ‘ound.”“‘Ow many ‘ounds?” Lavi asks.“Five.”“Deal.”
Damien is walking over the remnants of the Den, stones crunching under his shoes at every step. The entire town is shaken by the sudden combustion of the building which killed nearly all the rogues and sent the remaining ones into lifelong torment. Headless bodies are scattered all over the town, some falling as far as the outskirts. Blood and soot color the town walls and the soldiers are digging up more bodies from the debris.“What in the world happened here?”Damien turns around to find the Prime Minister of the country, Charles Rubert. Even though Charles is well into his seventies, he is still tall and active. With snowy white hair and goatee, he is still one of the most powerful faes in the country. His popularity is so high that he has been the Prime Minister for nearly three decades.Charles is