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CHAPTER 3 – To See You Again

Castle Xanthe City of Aphelion, Wolfen Territory The Realm of Xathos

Dimitrios Zanthe, King of the Wolfen, woke up with a scream lodged in his throat.

His body felt as if it was on fire and he swore that he felt several lashes on his back. In his dream he saw Heilen, the king of the Cerran, torturing him. But it was like seeing through eyes which were not his. But even if that was the case, he still felt the pain like it was his alone.

Dimitri stretched his limbs. Even now, the pain he felt still lingered. But with it came a sense of profound sorrow. It was so intense that he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

What could cause someone to have such intense pain and loneliness?

Dimitri sharpened his senses. He tried to reach out through his link to the pack. Most of them were sleeping peacefully and no one was injured or in pain.

Yet the emotion lingered and it caused him unrest.

Dimitri flung the blankets away from his sweat-soaked body and stood up. He went to the small table beside his bed and poured a pitcher of water on a small bowl. He then used the water to splash his face and cool his heated skin.

Then, he padded over to the window and looked outside.

It was nearly dawn but everything was still dark. The entire land was silent and his people slept—except the guards. There hasn't been any attack from the Cerran for a few weeks now so they kept their guard up. The Cerran could attack any time and they were ready.

Suddenly, the pain Dimitri felt in his dream came back. It was so swift that his knees buckled from the intense pain. Sweat broke out on his skin and it took much effort not to writhe on the ground.

His back felt as though it was being sliced open. His wrists felt raw and heavy as though chains were continuously biting into his skin. His entire body felt heavy as if his muscles were so tired. Dimitri fought against the pain and focused on his breathing.

He also felt his body beginning to shift as the wolf's instincts rose to defend him against this pain. He also fought against the change. He whimpered as waves and waves of pain coursed through his body.

What evil magic is this?

Has the Cerran found new ways to torture his people?

Suddenly, all thoughts were erased when Dimitri felt the sensation of fangs sinking into his neck. His lips opened on a gasp and his hand immediately went to his neck. But there was no blood. Still, he could feel the suction of lips as though draining his blood dry.

Dimitri closed his eyes and an image flashed from the recesses of his mind.

He saw her; his supposed queen—Ailara. She who betrayed him and his people.

In the vision, her face was contorted in pain. Her eyes were open and they were filled with pain and... acceptance? Dimitri wasn't sure what he was seeing but he swore he could see acceptance, longing, and defeat in her gaze.

A man held her and his fangs were on her neck. Some of her blood escaped his lips and ran down her neck and towards the valley between her breasts. His claws lengthened as instinct rose. She was his and another man was touching her!

Dimitri tamped it down. When he regained control, he felt her pain and her struggles going weaker and weaker. He felt her life force slowly ebbing away. At the last moment, she opened her eyes and it was as if she saw him.

Her lips turned up in a smile. Her hand reached for him. And then she called his name. "Dimitrios..." her voice was barely a whisper.

Something in her voice called out to him. Her voice struck a chord in him and it resonated deep inside his hollow chest. And something deep inside him responded to her call.

Protect!

His instinct demanded at him.

"Ailara!" he shouted.

Dimitri closed his eyes as a wave of power washed over him. But it was power unlike any other. At first, he thought that he was going to shift. It was the same, familiar feeling. But at the same time, this was different from that. Heat enveloped his entire body and he felt much, much stronger.

Dimitri closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him. And then suddenly, it was as if the floor disappeared and he was falling freely. The sensation vanished as soon as it appeared. When he was able to focus and open his eyes, he found himself standing in the middle of the room he saw in his dreams.

Did he just trace from his castle and into this one?

He decided to ponder on that later. For now, his eyes roamed the room. In the far corner stood Ailara. But her eyes were closed this time. Because of his heightened senses, Dimitri heard her slow and faint heartbeat. Then, he heard it stop completely and saw her take her last breath.

"Noooo!" he roared.

Rage unlike any other poured through his veins. In the blink of an eye, he shifted to his wolf form and let the beast inside him fight this battle. It wasn't the full moon but at the moment, Dimitri felt himself channeling the full energy of the moon. It made him feel strong and powerful.

Dimitri crouched and then ran as fast as he could. At the last moment, he jumped and sprang towards the Cerran. Because it was so distracted with his feeding, it wasn't able to notice Dimitri and the latter was able to rake his claws down the Cerran's back.

The Cerran let go of Ailara. At the same time, he howled in pain and faced Dimitri, fangs still bared. Dimitri's entire body stilled when recognition hit him. It was no other than Heilen, the King, himself. Rage flowed hot and molten into Dimitri's veins.

Here was the creature responsible for thousands of deaths of his people and the almost destruction of his kingdom. The King of the Cerran was the foulness that corrupted their land. He has already destroyed so much in his quest for absolute power.

With a growl, Dimitri positioned himself on a crouch again. This was his chance. Even if it cost him his life, as long as he was able to take down Heilen with him, then it will be worth it. With renewed determination, Dimitri sprang. This time, he aimed his massive jaws at the Cerran's neck. Heilen was able to evade the attack by raising his arm instead.

Dimitri's jaw almost clamped down on Heilen's arm. One twist and the limb could have been severed. But Heilen was fast as well. He feinted to his left and Dimitri only managed to rake his sharp claws against the Cerran's arm. Heilen howled in pain and dropped Ailara. She fell to the floor in a heap.

Dread filled Dimitri when she didn't move nor take another breath. A howl rose from his chest and he wasn't able to stop it.

Heilen grinned at his reaction.

"Ah. Grieving for your queen? I thought you hated her? It's well known that she has a bounty on her head and whoever manages to catch her gets a hefty sum of money from the King of the Wolfen himself," Heilen taunted.

Dimitri's answer was a low growl and another pounce. Heilen, on the other hand, dived for his sword. Dimitri sidestepped his first swipe and lunged. Heilen was able to avoid it this time and Dimitri's claws narrowly missed his neck. The two circled each other. Dimitri was too fast for Heilen's swipe.

A Cerran is most vulnerable when he just fed. And this was Heilen's situation now. He was still in high spirits with the blood he just took. It made him akin to a drunken man and inferior to Dimitri's strength and speed. Because he could not change from his human form to his Cerran form, he wouldn't be able to use his wings and talons in the fight—deadly weapons of the Cerran in battle.

The fight took less than a minute. After that, Heilen was already bloodied and panting hard. Dimitri couldn't believe that it was this easy to kill the King of the Cerran.

"Now's not the moment to finish this..." Heilen whispered after he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Dimitri growled and positioned himself between the door and the window. His people have suffered so much under Heilen's rule. It's time to end the battle once and for all by killing the leader of the Cerran. Vengeance will finally be his. He will mount Heilen's head in a spike and wave it for all to see.

"That won't help you fool. I just drank your queen's blood. I now have her ability to trace," Heilen shouted, his eyes twinkling with triumph. Then, he threw back his head and laughed.

Dimitri stepped closer to him and growled in warning. Heilen didn't even seem to be affected. His eyes still twinkled with mischief as his gaze darted back and forth from Ailara to Dimitri.

"Say goodbye to Ailara for me, will you? All these years, she's been very... helpful," Heilen said with an incline of his head towards Ailara's direction. Then, without another word, he simply vanished— a trait the Vampyr called tracing.

This was the ability that Cerran coveted most in the Vampyr. This allowed Cerran warriors to cross hundreds of miles in a snap of a finger and lay waste to an entire city before its people were even alerted to the danger in their midst.

The moment Heilen was gone; Dimitri shifted back into a man and padded over to the corner where Ailara lay. He took one look at her and he felt something in his chest clench. He lifted her into his arms and it just felt so right. He also inhaled her scent and something inside his chest shifted. It was as if something suddenly clicked into place. This was what his people described that they felt when they finally found their true mates. If Dimitri didn't know better, he would have believed them.

The... feelings... she evoked in him were different. But then again, she was his wife after all. They spent most of their childhood together and they were filled with happy memories. They were supposed to be together for the rest of their lives...

But she betrayed his family and his people.

How could she have done that when the Ailara he knew was a kind, gentle and intelligent girl? All those summers they spent together were full of joy! It was the time they spent together that made him believe that even though they weren't true mates, they can live together happily.

But Dimitri wasn't a fool. She crushed all his hopes and dreams for the future. It was only the blood bond they shared when they married as children that evoked what resembled feelings in him.

She cannot be his true mate since she was a Vampyr. And she was a traitor—the worse kind in existence.

Dimitri hardened his heart and steeled his resolve against her. He would save her so he'd be able to get to know all her secrets. Then, he would have the revenge for his mother. He would be the one to make her suffer. And when she's paid for her sins, that's when he'll end her. And perhaps one day, after she's gone, he will find his true mate.

With that in mind, Dimitri reached for the small dagger tucked into the waistband of the leather hides he wore. He used the dagger to slice open his wrist and then placed it against her lips. His blood flowed into her tongue but she didn't swallow.

"Come on, princess. Drink," Dimitri urged.

He tilted her head upwards with his other hand while the other continued to bleed for her. A few more seconds and still nothing happened. Dimitri began to lose hope. Suddenly, he felt as if all color was drained from the world. His chest also felt empty but at the same time it was very hard to breathe.

"You owe me so much, princess! Drink!" he shouted. He forced his will into hers. As Alpha and King of the Wolfen, he was used to his orders being obeyed. But she was different. Even as children, she was the only one who dared to defy him.

Which was another reminder that she isn't Wolfen...

She's not part of his pack and the inherent will to obey their Alpha ingrained in his people didn't apply to her. She also wasn't his true mate so he can't use the bond between them to give her his energy and save her life.

Dimitri's blood continued to fall on Ailara's lips. Still, nothing happened. She didn't even move. His blood ran down the side of her lips towards her neck and then to the floor. The sight of that crushed him. It was like that time when he saw his mother's lifeless body.

He closed his eyes.

A few more seconds and the wound in his wrist started to heal. Still, she did not move. Despair, unlike any other, washed over him. This was it. She was truly gone. His wife and supposed queen was gone. She wasn't even able to answer all his questions— the most important one being why she betrayed him. The second ones being why she suddenly changed and threw away everything.

Dimitri opened his eyes.

He felt weak but there was nothing more to do other than bring her body back to his kingdom so that she could be sent off properly into Draugr— the realm of the dead. He tucked her close to his chest and lifted her gently.

Suddenly, Dimitri felt her move. He couldn't believe it at first. He looked down and saw her swallow the small amount of blood left in her mouth. His heart leapt into his throat. He placed her down in a nearby table and slashed his wrist once more. Each time he saw her swallow the blood, it made him breathe easier.

After a while, she lost consciousness again but the steady rise and fall of her chest reassured him.

"Now what?" he whispered under his breath once he realized that he was far from his kingdom. This wasn't the land of the Cerran but it was one of their territories. He wasn't familar with the land much but he knew that it could be worth 3 or 4 days travel on horse. And he didn't have his horse— nor any money to pay for one.

He also couldn't shift and run with her on his back for it would just open her wounds and jar her body.

"K'eras!" he shouted.

Ailara didn't have three or four days. She must be seen to by a healer immediately! And every minute wasted moved her closer and closer to death. Dimitri quickly glanced around the room for anything he could use. Maybe Heilen kept potions or portal stones that he can use to teleport him and Ailara back to his castle.

But he found none. And each minute he wasted on searching made his anger rise higher and higher.

"Dimitri..." came a small whisper.

Dimitri turned around and went back to her. Her eyes were half-lidded and he could still see the pain in their blue depths.

"This must be Draugr, aye? I'm finally free... But why does everything still hurt" she whispered. Dimitri's heart clenched at her words.

"Shh... It will be alright." He found himself offering her reassurance before he could even think. He wanted to take back his words. A traitor needed no reassurance.

"I never thought I'd see you again. You've changed so much," she continued. Then she groaned and coughed. "I didn't even know that death could still hurt," she added. She looked like she was in some sort of trance.

"Ailara... Listen to me. It will stop hurting once we get back to the castle. Port us there. Now," he commanded.

She blinked and her eyes glossed over with pain. "It will stop hurting?" she asked.

"Yes," Dimitri answered through gritted teeth.

"Finally..." she replied before her small body was wracked with spasms brought over by pain.

"Take my hand." Dimitri placed his much larger hand over hers. Then, she closed her eyes. Dimitri felt her strength drain away and then the ground vanished from under his feet.

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Hope you like it so far! Please let me know your thoughts. :)

If you are a reader of the Myths Finding Love Series, I'm thinking of posting How to Defy Fate as Radish launches the Android version. :)

Btw, Chapter 6 of The Heart of a King also posted on Radish today!

Download the app now if you are an iOS user. If you are an Android user, they will be releasing the app this end of May or start of June.

Thanks to everyone who bought chapters on Radish! I really appreciate it, guys. <3