Himari’s POV.-It hurts, but it’s not so much that I can’t endure. I’m experiencing a new bout of astonishment as the flames take a life of their own, expanding prevalently as they conquer the dark force in a carpeting effect.‘Woah! Did you see that just now? Let’s hurry on before the next fleet arrives’.Too bad I can’t feel smug about my beautiful performance just now. I hasten after the others, seeing the riverbank coming into view as well as faint whispery shrieks sounding from the background. We get to the riverbank and meet an urgent problem.“How do we make it across?” Elsa frets, looking exhausted as she frowns at the flowing river. I look to Welma who looks at me and walks towards me to say, “We can’t reach the authority on the other side. And if I recklessly fly us in, we’ll be killed on spot”.My soul is on the verge of death at this moment. What do we do? Those Darklings are drawing closer. Wait- if we intrude into Zorien’s territory, his security will be aler
Himari’s POV.-You won’t die on me, Zorien. I haven’t permitted you to.Welma took my family and friends with her to her hometown, ensuring to keep them safe and away from prying eyes until I’d have nursed Zorien back to health and reveal the truth about him...about us to them.It’s an exhaustion I’ve never felt before. My bones throb with jittering noise, my muscles feel like they’re melting, and I’m on the verge of numbness. Trying to exert an unwavering flow of energy out of two different outputs is no joke at all. I have to keep nurturing the egg, and simultaneously keep healing Zorien.At first, I was repulsed, like a whiplash deflecting my energy back at my face. But eventually, as we delved into the night, my energy began to fuse with his like a natural wave of a single energy source. I keep the egg close with an arm spread out to it, and Zorien even closer as my other arm stretches over him to feel his impaled area.Dizziness comes like a gust of nausea, and my mi
Himari’s POV.-Zorien pulls back a little while I whimper. He presses his lips against my forehead and when I look up at him, I find his eyes dim as they seem to contain emotions I can’t quite place a finger on. He leans in closer to brush his face against mine and drag his cool words along. “I brought you nothing but pain, and yet, you never once regarded me with hatred.”“I was too hot-headed and it prompted me to take the steps I’ve taken. I got consumed in my selfish rage and sought to kill you right the moment I felt you enter into my territory...and I got what I deserve” He pulls away, his face contorting into a rueful expression.I shake my head to negate his words, working my lips to speak when he shuts me up with a finger placed on my lips. Staring into my eyes, he whispers hoarsely, “You drove me crazy, pup. I lost my mind months ago, even after resolving to myself on the day you first entered my mansion, that I would bring you a miserable death...”“...but I’ve
Himari’s POV.-I gulp with tension as Claire rolls a food trolley into the bedroom. With pensive eyes switching between the bathroom door and the bedroom exit, I’m stuck in dismay, unable to decide if I should obey or disobey Zorien. I look at the bathroom door, he’s not stepping out yet. I can just run out now. Yes, I should do that.“Where do you think you’re running off to, pup?”A cold shudder twists down my spine and I yelp from the weight his voice barrages on me. With tears in my eyes, I turn around to see Zorien walking away from the bathroom door. Claire bows to him in humble greeting to which he replies. She straightens and begins to make in the same direction towards me.I stand erect, my heart crying as Claire smiles at me and makes it out of the bedroom, leaving me behind. I look at the door at once, biting my lip in dismay. Zorien’s intimidating presence plants itself right against my back and large arms wound around my waist as he begins to pull me up until
Himari’s POV.-“Zorien, do you wish to mark me?”The way he promptly jerks, tells me of his surprise, and I rise slowly in his embrace that breaks loose. Zorien stares at me in bewilderment. Did I sound too desperate just now? I just wanted to know, since he’s been very particular about me lately. Did I seem assertive?His expression quickly changes, and he mutters a huff with his lips stretching into an appealing smile. I blush consciously, squirming into myself when his palm comes cradling my cheek and giving me the confidence to look right into his shimmering eyes.“It’s quite different with us Demons. We engrave a mutual sigil onto the skin of our mates. It could be anywhere, there’s no fixed place” He tells me, and I nod, “Oh, that’s how it’s done here? Is it painful?” I lean forward expectantly, and Zorien blinks at me for a moment before chortling in the next.He brushes his thumb across my brow, “Are you afraid?” He leans in, his breath mixing with mine while I pu
Himari’s POV.-“Ciel?”I come to an involuntary halt without me noticing. Not until he comes to perch in front of me and snap his fingers to shake me out of it. Ciel chuckles at me and teases, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Where have you been these days? Zorien mentioned about you and Welma returning to her hometown….”‘Oh dear, Himari, how do we get out of this mess? He’s gushing nonstop and his feelings for you are only lightening up the more’ Runa squirms and I break into a cold sweat.What do I do? How do I tell him? I’m not prepared to face him yet, my resolve is only half-baked.“Uh...Ciel, um, I want to tell you-”“Hey”Someone comes interrupting, and my ears ring at the sound of the familiar voice just before he comes draping down on me. I frown and hiss at Zorien who only nonchalantly wounds his arms possessively around my torso, nuzzling against my neck and driving my nerves ringing nonstop.‘Zorien, behave yourself!’ I scream through our mind-link and
Himari’s POV.-“Your Alpha is only one of those controlling the Darklings with the agenda of capturing you and handing you over to the actual enemy who resides here”.I stagger and Zorien’s hands are quick to respond as they grab my shoulders to steady me. He pulls me into his arms while I continue to relish in jarring shock. “Pup, don’t be scared. I’m here with you. I’m never relinquishing my duty to protect you, and you know that”.I grip his arms, using them to cushion my ache. I never expected it to be of such a grand scale like this. All of this information is making me dizzy. Oh, goddess, I can only count on you to protect my Pack and the others long enough for me to go salvage them.“Are you okay now?” I hear Zorien ask worriedly and nod, bringing my body up into a sitting position. His hands don’t leave me and I manage a quivering smile, “Yeah”.My voice comes out too shallow and I lower my gaze to my hands on my thighs. I still feel stricken with a hurricane of w
Himari’s POV.-“I’ve heard enough now! I won’t tolerate any badmouthing against my mate!”Fiery tears spill down my face and my limbs rattle from my sobs as I clench my teeth. How can they just ignorantly go ahead disrespecting my mate like this? I wonder if Zorien must’ve felt like this when all I held for him was aversion. I suddenly hate myself for it...but how could they even accuse him of enchanting me?“Mari”“No, Elsa” I shake my head at her, “You all know nothing about Zorien, I’ve been the one who lived ten whole months by his side and not any of you. He treated me better than that so-called Pack I come from. I can never pay back my gratitude for all he’s done for me...and then he turns out to be my mate, someone I’ve always yearned for. And you want me to let go of him?”Elsa lowers her eyes guiltily, and I look to my parents to find them still holding onto their disapproval. My friends look crestfallen and my brother, confused. I take pause and sniffle, opening