~Zayne~



'Rowan? You're back!" Rowan's sudden appearance left me starstrucked, I couldn't contain the excitement. I rose to my feet at once.

'Yes my Lord"

Rowan said his voice was firm as he gently approached us and gave me a warm and light hug before he took a seat next to me.



Thorn and Luther watched him, their brows furrowed as they wore an ugly frown.


'Rowan….. It's a pleasure for you… back" Luther said, he struggled to say the words. He struggled to hide his disgust and annoyance for Rowan.


There was an uneasy feeling in the room. Tension in the room was thickening every moment.

'As I said Emily is not going anywhere

She has been nothing but loyal to her…. '


'Loyal? Are you sure?" Rowan hardly finished when Luther interrupted him, the tension only worsening.


'Why did Emily try to seduce me the other night when I was drunk"


Seduce? I was stunned by Luther's accusations.

Emily isn't that type of lady, she has self respect. She couldn't possibly have done so.


'Lies!" Rowan's voice echoed through the room.


'If you don't believe me, then I won't mind calling Steph to testify"

Rowan seemed to freeze on Luther's mention of Steph.

'It was you right?"

Rowan's words left everyone in the room puzzled.

'What do you mean?" I asked Rowan, whispering it close to his ear.


'It was Luther who lied to Steph, to lie to Step that I pushed her off her room corridor!"

Rowan said his voice was firm, his gaze was fixed at Luther, his brows furrowed.


Luther? Why?

I won't be surprised if he did lie to Steph and accuse Rowan, but I feared what the reason might be.

Did Luther push Steph off the corridor?


'Nonsense!"

Luther's thunderous voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

'Rowan watch your mouth and don't forget your place! I can ruin your life right now" Luther was raging at Rowan.

'Enough!"

My voice thundered through the four corners of the room.

'This meeting is over, Emily is staying and that's final".

I stood up and walked out of the room.


I could not but hope all these accusations lashed out where all false.


I reached for my room and shut the hard past me.

I laid flat on my bed and my head gently placed on the soft pillows.

A rush of thoughts was flying around in my mind.

'Oh moon goddess!"

I yelled out, grateful or rather relieved.

I was on the brink of public exposure.

I laid unconscious at the clinic for three days. If I were to be conscious and laid to bed on my own, I was sure I would have gone into beast mode and devoured every one at the clinic.


And for the reason of this curse I cannot sleep anywhere but in my room and alone.


A loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts

'My Lord, it's Rowan, may I come in!"

Rowan!

I've been wanting to see him in private myself.


'Yes please!"

Rowan walked in his face looking very pale.

'What happened? Why did they release you?"

I asked out of curiosity, it was one of the few questions I had in mind to ask him.


'They couldn't prove I did it, so I will be given a trial before I return for the final decision"

Rowan said, his voice a bit sober.

I couldn't help but feel for him. Being treated like a criminal for something you didn't do, is much worse than if you did.

'I'm sorry for everything, I know you didn't do it"

A faint smile grew on his lips.

'But why would Steph say that, did she even see you?" I asked, I couldn't quite piece out the puzzle.


'My Lord, I have to tell you something" Rowan drew his face closer to mine as he lowered his voice.

'I know who did it.

It was Thorn".


Thorn? What.


'Are you sure about that?" I'm aware of the deep disdain Rowan and Thorn have between them, so maybe Rowan might be doing this out of hatred.


'Yes I am dead serious!" Rowan said, looking me straight in the eyes. His stare fixed at me, sending chills down my spine.


'And most important of all"

He hesitated before speaking again.


'Luther was the one who ordered it"


~Luther~


'Fuck!! Why is he back!" I screamed out, the anger of earlier still fresh in my mind.

Rowan single handedly ruined everything. Emily would have gone from the kingdom at once!


How could Rowan be out so early, he should be locked up to rot all his life in jail.

'Luther I won't say I warned you about this, but I did" Reta's annoying voice reached my ears.

She sat on a small stool across my couch, her legs crossed as she glanced at a small mirror in her hand, admiring herself.

'You need to kill Emily, there's no other way"


I've tried so hard to avoid this option, but maybe just maybe that's the only way. Emily needs to die.


'How do you plan to kill her? We can't afford to kill her anywhere near the Lycan kingdom, my brother will not rest till he finds the killer!"


'I have a plan… we will give her as a sacrifice to THE VAMPIRES".


My mind went blank on hearing Reta's words.


Vampires? She must be insane.


'NO! We can't do any business with the vampires.

It's been ten years since a Lycan last stepped foot in vampire territory and came out alive.


There once was a time when vampires and lycans worked together to torture and enslave the humans, our common enemy.

A time where Lycans mated vampires and vampires did likewise.

But not anymore, the vampires decided to go behind the backs of Lycans and kill our pack members.

And thus, the bad blood ignited and vampires and Lycans never crossed paths again.


'Reta you must not be thinking straight, there's no way we're working with the Vampires, they will kill us once we step foot in their territory".


'Don't worry yourself Luther, I'll handle it" Reta's confidence could not but frighten me more.


'Tomorrow by noon we set out to the vampire kingdom, to make a deal," Reta said before she walked out of my room.


Oh! Moon goddess, please save me. Reta is going to get me killed!

My heart was pounding, I could barely sleep through the night for the fear of the nightmare that awaits me tomorrow.



The sun shone through the curtains, casting a warm feeling all over my room.

As my eyes gently opened, confusion soon clouded my mind, but it soon turned to panic on realisation that we were going to the vampire kingdom.


'Luther! Reta sends for you, we're ready to go!"

Thorns voice reached my ears.

'Ahhh… '

I groaned in frustration.

I pulled out my bed sheets, and gently placed my feet on the cold floor.


About thirty minutes later I came out of my room, my body freshened up. I headed downstairs to the castle courtyard.

The whole castle was empty as it was barely dawn.

We had to leave as early as possible to avoid getting spotted.



Thorn, Reta and Crystal were waiting on me.

'Is the cook going with us?" I was surprised to see Crystal there.

'We can't afford to get her killed, okay? So Crystal you can go back to the kitchen"


'Luther, nobody is going to get killed Okay? But Crystal was planning to go anyway"

Crystal dropped a bag with some items inside and left.


'Let's go we have to be back before tomorrow dawn, if we don't suspicions will arouse front he kingdom"

Reta climbed on top one of three horses which stood at the courtyard.

Me and Thorn on to the other two.

We rode through the forests, it's path was more clear at day and then after a long while we rode past it.

Darkness had long settled down and the stars showed above the sky.

We then crossed over an ancient stone bridge, its weathered surface covered with moss and brightened by a flickering torch at both ends.

Beyond the bridge lay the vampire kingdom, their castle loomed over the horizon, its walls seemed to be composed of darkness itself.

'Phew!"

I took a deep breath as I glanced at the nightmare that stood in front of me.

The tension in the air was thick as we gently approached the castle gates.

My heart was pounding in my chest.

I turned towards Reta, her confidence seemed to have vanished. I could see the fear in her eyes.

We reached the castle gates, it was left open. We gingerly stepped in, there was an uncomfortable silence in the castle.

It looked like a trap or a set up.

The air was thick with tension as we stood defiantly yet uncertain about what to expect.

'Hello?"

Reta called out hoping to get any of their attention.

The sound echoed through the void of the castle premises.

'Reta we should turn back somethings not right"

There was something odd about this.

It must be a trap.

What!

I felt a large presence behind me.

'Mhmmm… '

Its palm covered my mouth and nose pressing tightly against my lips, breathing became difficult.

My eyes became heavy, I gasped for air but his palms were so tight, not even a glimpse of air was possible to breathe.

My eyes gently shut close into the darkness.


'Where am I?"

My eyes fluttered open, thick darkness covered the room, as I laid on the cold floor. My hands and legs were tied so fiercely, the rope pressing deep into my skin.


'Thorn? Reta?" my voice was cracking, my lungs were so dry.

'Luther, where are we?" Reta asked, her voice tense.

'I don't know"

Thorn's voice reached my ears, he seemed distant from myself and Reta.




DOOR OPENS


A dark figure approached us, I could barely see him, his footsteps became louder and louder making a thudding noise across the floor.

'You Lycans dare intrude the vampire kingdom!" his voice was loud and thunderous ringing through the void.

My heart trembled in fear, we were sitting ducks ready to be fed for slaughter.

'We mean no harm to your kingdom.

We came here by our own order and without the consent of the Lycan kingdom"

Reta managed to speak, her voice trembling.


The figure froze in silence, not uttering a word.

He walked back, his steps moving farther away.

'Guards!"

Two figures came into the room and stood either side of him. The room was still covered in darkness.

'Take these Lycans to the chamber room!" the vampire instructed as he turned and walked out of the room.

The two figures approached us, one grabbed me by arm and dragged me across the cold floor.

He dragged me to a room, its lights flickering on, illuminating the sharp features of the vampire who dragged me here.

THUM

THUM

A looming figure approached me, I could feel a certain dark aura it graced with each of his steps.

'Luther, prince of the Lycan kingdom"

The vampire said his voice

My pupils shrink in disbelief.

How does he know me?


I gently raised my head to see him. His pale skin was a breed of its colour.

He was tall and lean and moved with a certain elegance.

His thick black hair rolled down his back and his sharp cheekbones and jawline suggested his beauty yet his danger.

His red eyes glinted off danger. He wore a black coat which rolled down from his shoulders to the edge of his foot.

His sharp fangs were inconcealable.



'You dare come to the vampire kingdom, you will die by hanging" he said pointing to a rope set for my hanging.

'NO, we came here for a good re…… '

'Guards get him!" the vampire interrupted me.

Two vampires grab me from either side.

'Let me go!!" I resisted in vain, their grip was strong.

They forcefully placed my head between the ropes.

The rope was tightened around my neck, breathing became difficult as I gasped for air.

One of them had his hands placed on the liver, patiently waiting for the order.


'Hang him!"