Chapter 5 - Declaration

Rynari’s POV

Me and Derrick were talking when we suddenly heard footsteps. My heart beat faster and faster as the person got closer and closer. His familiar and alluring scent entered my nose and I swallowed the lump in my throat. The footsteps stopped and the person turned his head to look inside Derrick’s cell. It seemed like his anger cannot be sated that easily. He’s planning to lash him again! 

"Don't! Please! He can't take this anymore. Won't you just forgive him and punish me instead?!" I yelled at him to stop him. Endrée turned his head and glared at me.

Derrick warned me not to interfere so I was not able to do anything but stare at Derrick's back as Endrée lashed him. He was kneeling on the floor. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to not watch as he continued to lash Derrick.

The Lycan King was not kidding when he said that he would surely torture us. He lashed Derrick in front of me the moment we came back to the palace and the following days after that. He never gave us any food but I was glad that he was taking care of Kairo.

Derrick woke up after a few hours.

“You look pale, Derrick. You lost a lot of blood. Are you sure you can keep this up for long?” I asked him worriedly. He nodded but then he winced. He shook his head and exhaled. He was lashed a lot more today. I shouldn't have interfered.

“He won’t stop. He’s furious about me taking you away and helping you escape. He might be harsher as time pass by but don’t worry. I can do it, I know I can do it. I am the Beta after all. I won’t be taken down that easily. So wipe that frown on your face, you’re making me worry,” he said and teased me. I can’t help but smile at his optimism. Yes, Derrick won’t give up easily. He’s the Beta of the Lycan King after all. He’s stronger than me so if I can survive then he can.

Oftentimes, Endrée would come and visit my cell in the middle of the night and just stare at me while I pretend to sleep.

Just like tonight. He forced me to wake up as he played with my hair. I pretended that I woke up in the middle night because of him. I quickly sat up and backed away from him.

“I can’t believe that you ran away. You told me that you will never run away. And the worst part of it all is that you ran away with my Beta. Of all the people, you ran away with him! You tempted him and now, he’s being punished because of you! Have you no conscience?” Endrée furiously whispered to me. He is blaming me? Why is he blaming me?

“I had no choice but to run away. You never planned to let me go! Derrick offered to help me and that’s why I escaped with him. And because I ran away with him, we were able to save someone on the verge of dying. We were able to know the fact that your Luna even destroyed an entire pack! Do you even have an idea about that?!” I whispered to him, retorting. His blood-red eyes glared at me but I did not avert my eyes. He growled when I continued to defy him.

“Don’t talk about her like that, you witch! What? Are you jealous of her, huh?” he whispered as he glowered at me.

“No, of course not! You can all go to hell. You deserve it both for killing innocent people!” I retorted as my eyes blazed with anger. His eyes turned hostile and his canines appeared.

“Why don’t you just stop this war? Why do you continue to make people suffer?” I curiously asked him. He averted his eyes. I clenched my fists.

“You think that I’m doing this because I like it? If that’s what you think then the answer is no. I never wanted for these things to happen but they did. No matter what I do, people will want war. People will want more bloodshed! I just do whatever is necessary in ruling my kingdom so that I can protect my people,” he answered and took a step closer to me, “I don’t want them to meet the same fate as my brother. You would never understand what it is to be in my situation because you are sheltered your whole life. I was a ruler. Crowned at a young age. I am destined to protect and rule a kingdom,” he added in an authoritative tone.

“You speak of protecting your kingdom? Then do we have no right in protecting ourselves too? I am innocent! We are all innocent! The witches you burned did not kill your brother yet why did you punish them? Why did you punish us? You said that I will never understand you, I do understand where you are coming from. You lost your brother but you have no right to punish all witches. It's unnecessary, cruel and unfair! You even say that I am sheltered. Yeah, I am. Because if I go and wander the forest then someone might come and kill me, whether it is a werewolf or a vampire, that is why am sheltered ever since I was young!” I retorted, “I have to be sheltered my whole life because you wanted to kill all witches! What do you think is going to be the result then? You think that waging wars after wars are going to solve everything or anything at all? Where has all your witch immolation taken you? Nowhere! They feared you and that is why they continue to fight back, so they could stop you from hurting others. You turn a blind eye to this but it is true. Nothing good will ever come out of continuous wars! Nothing!” I added with equal ferocity as I stood up and glared at him.

He glared at me and took a step closer to me. I was nervous but I fought back my fear and stood my ground. I did not avert my eyes so that I could show that I don’t fear him at all. I continued to challenge him. There is no way that I'm going to let him trample all over me.

“If you are a great ruler, you’ll do what’s best for your people and not what you think is best for them. You sit on that throne and you wear that crown so be responsible for it. Be responsible for their lives and don’t bring damnation upon them,” I stated as I glared back at him. He inhaled and took a step back, away from me. He grabbed my chain. I closed my eyes in panic but I was surprised when he freed me.

Days passed by and Endrée continued to be nice to me. He started to treat me like I was his mate. He would feed me himself and spend time with me as much as he can.

He would ask personal questions about me but I was reluctant to trust him so I never told him everything about me. I did not tell him that I had dreams about him since I was five nor I told him about my gift, my ability to give life with my blood.

Endrée’s POV

Derrick was testing me. He wanted to provoke me and my mate bond with Rynari. Dante was not reluctant and he made sure to always tell me that it was okay. She is my mate. I have the rights to be close to her cause she was born to be mine.

Zenalie would understand. If she ever finds her mate then I would understand her if she wanted to be with him. There is no sense in stopping the inevitable. Wanting to be with your mate is only natural.

After talking to Rynari, I realized that I was not in my right mind when I started the witch hunt and immolation. I shouldn’t have blamed all the witches for what a witch did.

All the blame should be on me. I was the one who made a race suffer because I couldn’t protect him. I couldn’t protect my brother whom I adored.

I was cut off from my thoughts when I heard Derrick’s voice.

“Where is she? Where did you take Rynari?” he asked. He sounded angry. I was irritated. How dare he?

“I released her and brought her to the room across mine. Don’t worry, I’ll release you tomorrow,” I replied to him and I blocked him as I snuggled with my pillow.

After a while, I decided to visit Rynari in her room. She was brushing her hair. Where is her servant?

I grabbed her attention and she smiled at me as she continued to brush her hair.

I heard Derrick talking to me through telepathy again.

“Alpha, Zenalie’s here. She brought her loyal subordinates with her. She said that she wants to make an audience with you. It looks like she wants to declare war against you,” he said to me. I told him to wait and I grabbed Rynari’s hand.

“What’s wrong? What is happening now?” she asked me and looked up at me.

“Zenalie’s here. She wants to make an audience with me. I have to keep you safe. I know that you can’t shift yet,” I told her and looked her in the eyes.

“No, I’ll go with you. I’m not afraid of her,” she insisted and grabbed my hand. I sighed and reluctantly nodded my head. Zenalie is dangerous but I know that she won’t hurt her. I know that she’ll be happy for me. She’ll be happy that I’m moving on from my past. But I am not sure about this.

“Okay, but you have to keep close to me and don’t be reckless,” I told her and she nodded. We continued to walk in fast and hurried steps. My eyes darted to every corner, worried that someone may jump at her.

‘Let me out! I’ll kill that b*tch!’ Dante suddenly barked out but I told him to behave because Ryna might panic. I don’t want to make her panic because I can feel it. I can feel Zenalie’s anger.

“I changed my mind. You stay inside your room,” I said and was about to pull her towards the room when I heard things crashing from a distance.

“Where are you, my King?!” Zenalie’s voice echoed all around the hallway and my heart beat faster. I pulled Ryna closer to me. If it all goes down between me and Zenalie, I have to make sure that my mate is safe.

I don’t think that I would be able to kill her. I don’t want to kill Zenalie. She’s a special person in my life, but it will be a different story if she tries to harm my mate. That is unforgivable.

“Where are you?” Zenalie called out to me from across the hallway and my heart pounded. Ryna stared at me and her eyes blazed in anger.

“You’re trying to the truth, aren’t you? Whatever she wants, you have to tell her that truth. You will stop the war against the witches,” she said to me. I exhaled. I don’t know what to do.

This is not easy. I promised Zenalie the world. I promised her everything but now I took away everything from her. I know that she wants revenge.

I stood in front of Zenalie and her eyes trailed from Rynari to me. She had the murderous glimmer in her eyes.

“You really thought I wouldn’t know?!” she furiously screamed at me. My fists clenched and I shifted to my wolf. Dante was furious. She ruined an entire pack and did all malicious things behind my back. What rights does she have to tell me what to do when she doesn’t even respect my authority as a king?

Her eyes glowed red and she spoke the words that made my blood boil. I snarled at her when she threw a table at me.

“What are you waiting for? Do it! Just so you know, I have a little surprise for your mate. It’s just perfect cause this looks like it’s a perfect time for a family reunion,” she said to me and she cackled maniacally. I snarled at her as her subordinates brought two individuals in front of us.

“Mom, dad! Why are you here? How did you bring them here?” Rynari whispered and tried to go near them but I stopped her.

“What do you think? A perfect gift, right?” Zenalie said as she turned her head to look at me. She looks like she had completely gone insane. Her eyes looked like she was possessed.