HAPPY MAHA SHIVARATHRI!!
May Lord Shiva shower his blessings on you and your family!
Chapter 29 is here and it is dedicated to @yash365 :D
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GINGER:
An antioxidant, ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered or as an oil. It's one of the everyday ingredients in Indian cuisine and is considered to have incredible medicinal properties that helps flight common cold, aids digestion and reduces nausea.
The enzymes in ginger break up the gasses that form in the intestinal tract during thus improving digestion. Small quantities of ginger can also alleviate morning sickness. It also helps in significantly reducing menstrual pain.
Ginger tea made from fresh ginger and hot water may not be everyone's cup of tea but it does ease headaches and migraines due to its pain-relieving properties.
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"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you."
― Gayle Forman, If I Stay
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CHAPTER 29 – CHOICE
Lysander sighed in his seat when Minerva slammed the car door and rushed inside most likely to complain to her mother about his lack of interest in rescuing Cyane.
It wasn't that he lacked interest, Lysander thought uncomfortably. It was just that after talking to Roderick, Lysander had realised that he couldn't help Cyane. No one really could! There was no cure for her because she wasn't sick! She was suffering from a childhood trauma that Lysander knew no child should go through.
What happened to Cyane and her family was very, very wrong. Innocent lives killed all because of those creatures who were only created to wipe out the Zeke bloodline.
In the past, Lysander admitted regretfully that his family had messed up in more ways than one. But the greatest mistake Zeke had ever done was hurting the witch Georgia. Her curse, the one she had made in pain, had destroyed everything that had been built before! Her curse had made their family name worthless and her curse had torn the Zeke family apart.
The moment he stepped out of the car, his wolf tensed uneasily and Lysander looked around for he felt like someone was watching him. His wolf sniffed the air but couldn't easily catch any scent. He growled lowly in warning but then sighed when he saw a hare running away into the bushes.
When he stepped inside the house, after dismissing the others, as expected he found Minerva sobbing and complaining to her mother who was hugging her soothingly.
The uneasy feeling was still there and he expected to feel better with Yolanda's presence, sadly it wasn't so and that confused him. Her scent, her mere presence always calmed his wolf but today his wolf was behaving oddly strange. He continued to sniff the air and be alert.
"Lysander, what is she talking about? What happened?" Yolanda asked with a confused frown.
"Nothing happened!" Minerva cried in outrage. "We could have followed them and stopped them while they were on the way to Nest but Papa refused."
"Do you think Cyane would have come back with us?" Lysander asked with a frown. "He is her mate."
"But he is a bad person. Cyane has to know what he is like" Minerva protested.
"Don't even for a second consider Cyane as stupid. By now she must know a lot of things about Xanthos, yet, she chose to be him. He will come first to her over everything, even her family whom she refuses to return to" Lysander rebuked sharply. "If anyone should be more concerned about Cyane, it's them! As I said, I will wait for Cyane to call us and after that, I will call her grandpa."
"Lysander—"
"Enough!" Lysander snapped cutting off his wife with a sharp glare and Yolanda frowned at him. "No more talking about rescuing Cyane. She doesn't need rescuing and even if she did, it's only her family who can rescue her."
"The family whom she ran away from?"
"There is more to it. It's their family problem and we should not interfere in it!"
"Why are you so insistent on sending Cyane back?" Minerva queried angrily.
"Because she is the safest there" Lysander growled as his wolf paced inside him. He was agitated, angry at Xanthos who had cleverly manipulated the situation to his favour but that was not the reason his wolf was behaving like this.
Something was wrong. Lysander had a feeling that someone had followed them. He suspected it to be that guy... Viktor.
'Stay alert. Keep circling the perimeter. I believe we have an intruder' Lysander told everyone through the mind link.
"They lied to her all her life" Minerva growled and Lysander turned to look at her. His wife and daughter were absolutely fine but his wolf wasn't at ease. "If she doesn't want to go back to them, then you should respect that. You cannot interfere like this!"
"I have to interfere or else our whole kind will be wiped out" Lysander burst out angrily and while Yolanda inhaled sharply, Minerva leaned back in her seat and watched her father in shock.
He had said the same thing in the hospital after Winnie had spoken about some creatures and now he could see that they were curious to know more.
"What? What are you talking about?" Yolanda demanded with a frown.
"What happened in your meeting with Cyane's grandpa? What did you find out?" Minerva probed.
"That she is alive somewhere. The very same woman who hates werewolves and especially the Zeke family. She is alive... Though in a comatose state, she is out there somewhere. She is a very powerful witch and it is her curse which has shattered the Zeke legacy" Lysander snarled and when he realized that his anger and frustration was misplaced, he paced the length of the room while his wife and daughter stared at him, waiting for him to calm down.
Only when his wolf stepped back and he regained control of his thoughts and actions, did Lysander sigh and sit on the couch facing them.
"I am going to tell you a story. A story I should have told you a long time ago, but I never considered her a threat. I never gave her a second thought because she had been out of the picture for so long. Long before I was even born" Lysander said wryly and Minerva furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Who is this woman?" Minerva enquired.
"Georgia" Lysander whispered her name the same way his uncle Alexander had done the first time he had shared the details with him. "My uncle had once told me this story, years ago, while I was flouncing and wasting my time just like my father. He had hoped it would make me chose a different path. He had told me what I will now tell you, then you will have to decide who is right and who is wrong."
Minerva nodded and patiently waited for her father to continue.
"As you already know that the island of Clara Collis had only two kingdoms. Lycoris and Scevola. While Lycoris thrived under the rule of the Sylvan fairies, Scevola was ruled by King Atreus Zeke, who is still considered to be one of the best Zeke rulers. During his reign, the kingdom flourished. It was the same time when our kind was growing in numbers too. New towns were forming as wolves began to accept their human side more and move away from the forest. Trees were being chopped to clear grounds and build houses and schools. All this happened under Atreus's clever guidance. Wolves from other parts of the world had heard about the kingdom too and many came into the kingdom as refugees and Atreus accepted them all and promised to provide food and shelter to them. But it wasn't easy because like I said, the majority of the kingdom was covered in forest and so to provide shelter to the refugees Atreus planned to construct a building in Prosper City, which is now known as Zeke's Lair."
"This very place" Minerva whispered and Lysander nodded.
What was Prosper City once, had now become a cursed place and no one wanted to claim that certain piece of land; neither Stanislaus nor the she-wolves of Scevola, which was why it continued to be under Zeke's name and which was how Lysander was able to claim it as his piece of land in the kingdom.
"Yes. This place was once called Prosper City. As you must know the geography of Clara Collis is very uneven. The island has mountains but is mostly covered by hills and plateau and very little plains. There just wasn't enough even land in Prosper City and the engineers came with the idea of chopping down a hill" Lysander sighed and then rubbed his forehead. "Our kind lives in packs and Atreus had a task of keeping these wolves together. He couldn't just send them away from what was familiar to them. That's why he gave a green signal to the engineers and finally, a portion of the hill was chopped down and the land was flattened where a building was constructed for the refugees. Everyone was happy!" Lysander paused, took a deep breath and then continued, "Then, the rains came."
He looked at Minerva who was watching him, hanging on to his every word and he was pleased to see that because this story was important and it would teach her several lessons.
"With rains came landslide and flood. The rivers overflowed and the water got logged in between those plateaus. Several lives were lost and at the time the people needed someone to blame, so they chose their king. They blamed Atreus for the floods saying it happened because he destroyed nature. He could have sent the refugees back, anything was preferable than chopping out a natural hill where most of the landslide had happened. In that flood, a farmer named Balbo lost his home and his wife. As they were being pulled away by the powerful water, Balbo held on to a branch while his sons Vin and Terry clung to him. The current of the water was very strong and Balbo knew he couldn't hold on to the branch for very long with both his sons. He had to make a choice. The toughest choice for any parent. He could only save one of his kids. He decided to let go of eleven-year-old Vin and saved seven-year-old Terry."
Minerva's warm blue eyes swam in a pool of tears and she covered her trembling mouth with her fingers.
"That kind of choice haunts one forever and a hurt Balbo chose to blame Atreus just like the rest of the kingdom. Rains went and life got became normal for almost everyone but not for Balbo and his surviving son Terry, who while growing up was constantly reminded of that incident. His father never got over the pain and with his father, Terry too blamed King Atreus for all their problems. So, as a teenager, he began plotting his revenge" Lysander added grimly and Minerva nodded for him to continue, while Yolanda too listened interestedly even though she already knew the story.
"King Atreus had three sons. The eldest and the Crown Prince, Julius. The second, Rufus and the youngest, Cassius. Terry wanted to destroy the Zeke family and so, he befriended Rufus who was the same age as him and turned him against his own family by making him jealous of his eldest brother. He manipulated Rufus and turned him bad. Completely bad! Terry's motive was to destroy the Zeke bloodline and not just one king Atreus. But simply a small group of wolves couldn't do it. He knew he needed someone stronger for that and so, he turned Rufus's attention towards Georgia."
"The witch who ultimately did it!"
"Yes," Lysander confirmed and then paused for a few seconds before continuing. "There are two types of witch. Good and bad as they are most basically classified. Good ones live longer and give birth naturally. While those who embrace the dark side are extremely powerful but eventually turn into a crone. Georgia was the good one!"
"What?" Minerva asked stunned by that piece of information because she had not been expecting that. It was the same reaction Lysander had had and he smiled softly.
"The best one. She was beautiful, powerful and extremely loved by the people of the kingdom. But Georgia only loved one man and he was a mortal. A human named Vito. It was against the law for their kind but she still loved him very much and was to marry him. Prince Rufus was obsessed with her and when he came to know of her wedding, he ambushed the venue and when she was distracted, he killed Vito, right in front of her."
Minerva gasped in shock and Lysander nodded grimly.
"Atreus was a clever man. He knew about Terry's influence on Rufus and the more he tried to stop it, the worse it got. Before his death, Atreus had warned his heir Julius about it. King Julius, when he came to know about his brother's plan had rushed to the wedding venue but he was too late to stop Rufus from killing Vito. A furious Georgia was about to curse Rufus but Julius begged for her forgiveness saying it would destroy his whole family and she listened to him" Lysander whispered the last bit and Minerva's eyes welled up again.
"Even in her grief, Georgia listened to the king because she had immense respect for the Zeke family. She asked King Julius for justice and he gave it to her. Julius killed Rufus and it was the right thing to do, for Rufus was beyond saving. But because Julius also knew who was the reason behind everything, he then specifically asks Georgia to look at both sides of the coin. When she did, she realized that Terry was the one who had manipulated Rufus and so, she promptly killed him."
"That's it?" Minerva asked when Lysander paused again.
"That's just the first part" Lysander stated and then continued, "Weeks after the incident, Georgia found out that she was pregnant with Vito's child. Back then, being a single, unwed mother was frowned upon and it did not matter if you were a human or a witch. People began humiliating her because they knew she never got married to Vito. When Julius learnt of her condition, he was deeply shaken because it was his brother who was responsible for her pain and so he decided to rectify the situation. He proposed a marriage between Cassius and Georgia."
"The youngest brother," Minerva said and Yolanda nodded. "But Cassius was a wolf... what about his mate?"
"Cassius had lost his mate very, very young. She died when she was just thirteen and he was fifteen. They never could form any true bond and he found out she was his mate, only after her death from the lingering scent in her house" Lysander said and Minerva whimpered in pain. "That's what my uncle told me, but there are some people who claim that he did not have a mate. I don't know which version is true, but I chose to believe my uncle."
"I understand" Minerva breathed out quietly.
"Cassius loved his brother very much and he sympathized with Georgia's pain which is why, when his brother asked him to marry her, he agreed. Georgia settled for this marriage of convenience only to provide a home for her unborn child. Nobody knew what kind of marriage it was. It had started as a marriage of convenience but Cassius fell in love with her" Lysander said with a sad smile.
"What happened?" Minerva asked carefully because she knew this story had no happy ending.
"My uncle had told me that Cassius was an introvert. His mate's death at a very early age had affected him and he became even more of a wallflower after that. For people like that, coming out of their shell is difficult and when they finally get the courage to do so, the rejection is even harder to handle" Lysander explained defensively and Minerva furrowed her brows. "Cassius killed himself after Georgia refused to accept his love."
Minerva's eyes rounded in disbelief and speechless, she simply stared at her father.
"Georgia might have had her reasons for refusing his love but Cassius was too fragile to understand it. King Julius was furious when he heard about it because Cassius had shared with his brother what was in his heart and the king knew how much he had loved Georgia."
"He blamed her" Minerva stated and Lysander nodded in reply.
"After learning of his brother's death, Julius lost control to his wolf and he attacked her."
"She was pregnant" Minerva gasped in horror and Lysander simply compressed his lips. "Oh no!" Minerva cried and closed her eyes in pain.
"In the ambush, Georgia went into labour and her and Vito's child was stillborn. The death of her firstborn was the last straw for her and that's when she placed her three curses on the Zeke's. it was then that she changed and accepted the dark side" Lysander finished sadly.
He glanced at Yolanda and found that she was staring at him with a blank look on her face. His wolf snapped his jaws and Lysander narrowed his eyes.
"Ah! The famous three curses" Yolanda said calmly getting off the couch and Lysander looked at her with a frown as his wolf continued to growl and snarl inside him. "We all know what it is" she added.
"One- Blood will fight blood. There will be rift within the Zeke family and they will spill their family blood" Yolanda said serenely and Lysander looked around the living room for the clue as his wolf continued to fight within him.
"Two- A Zeke will always lose their firstborn" Yolanda continued and Lysander's eyes widened in rage when he found the traces of silver sulphide all around the room.
"And three" Yolanda continued and Lysander's blue eyes turned murderously dark as he looked up to glare at the creature standing in front of him. "The Zeke family will fall from the throne and their name will be associated with shame."
"Mama?" Minerva whispered as Yolanda's voice turned manly when she stated the last curse.
Lysander watched in rage as Yolanda's figure shifted to that of a young man with pale blonde hair and bright golden eyes, dressed impeccably in beige chinos and a peach-coloured shirt.
Fae!
"You animals can be easily misled," the man said twisting his neck a few times. "Just a couple of clever tricks to cover the scent will do it" he continued pulling a strand of Yolanda's dark brown hair from his neck and then dropping it to the ground.
"Where's my mate?" Lysander hissed because the effect of the silver sulphide had completely worn off. Beside him, Minerva stood fiercely baring her claws and fangs.
"Calm down! She is safe. My people won't hurt her" The stranger said with a serene smile.
Not just any fae. A Lycorian and he was here for Cyane.
"Let me introduce myself, I am Aristandros Sylvan. You can call me Ari."
"I asked, where is my mate?" Lysander snarled in fury ignoring the hand Ari had extended to him.
"Safe as I said before and she will continue to be so as long as you co-operate with me" Ari grinned smoothly and went back to sit on the couch. "Please sit," Ari said to them.
Growling, Minerva rushed to attack him but with a swift direction of his arm towards her, Ari pushed Minerva off without even touching her and she dropped down to the opposite couch with a soft thud.
Baring his fangs Lysander snarled at Ari who calmly leaned back in his seat with an arrogant smirk on his face.
"Cyane is strong, yes, but I was trained to lead our army and am far more powerful than her. You want your wife and I want Cyane, so let's not waste time. Please take a seat!" Ari traded wryly.
"Talk" Lysander gritted out, doing his best to push back his wolf from taking over and ripping the feathers of this winged creature.
"Who is Xanthos?" Ari demanded, crossing his legs so that his ankles were resting atop his knees.
"You answer first. Who are you to Cyane?"
"Cyane is my niece" Ari replied and Minerva frowned but didn't question it further. "You just said she will choose Xanthos over her family. Who. Is. He?"
"A wolf. Cyane's mate" Lysander breathed out curtly.
"Mate?" Ari spat the word. "She is a fairy."
"So was her mother" Lysander countered and that silenced Ari.
"When did she meet him?"
"I don't know all the details. You can ask her yourself when you find her!" Lysander said with a smirk of his own.
"Where is she?"
"With him" Lysander stalled intending to piss off the fae and it worked because Ari's golden coloured eyes hardened angrily.
"Where are they?"
"I don't know. She was with him these last couple of weeks but they have vacated the place and I don't know where they have left. I can give you the address so that you can handle the rest" Lysander traded coolly and Ari nodded grudgingly.
After writing down the address to Xan's apartment in a sticky note, Lysander extended the note to Ari but snatched his hand away before Ari could take it.
"You will get this only after I see my mate" he fielded sharply and once again Ari compressed his lips.
"Is the address even genuine?" Ari asked suspiciously.
"Of course, it is. We just came from there!"
"Why should I trust you? You have known who Cyane was from the start but had intentionally kept her away from us" Ari said through gritted teeth.
"Cyane did not want to go back to her family and we only respected her wishes," Lysander said blankly and Ari reared back as if he was slapped. "I am being honest. I don't know where Cyane is at the moment. But she is with Xanthos and she is with him willingly."
Ari nodded once and then gritted out, "Follow me" before storming out of the front door. "If you can" he added before rising high in the air.
"Jerk" Minerva hissed before they began running on the woods into the direction of the woods.
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Yolanda was sitting quietly atop a broken trunk as four more fairies surrounded her. They stepped back the moment they saw Ari.
Lysander heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her and then rushed to hug her. Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent to calm his wolf.
Having his mate back in his arms did the trick and his wolf stepped back.
'Why didn't you call me?' He demanded from his mate.
'I couldn't. They have silver with them!' Yolanda replied taking deep breaths.
'Did they hurt you?'
'No. I am absolutely fine. They didn't touch me. They knew Cyane was with us and wanted answers. I told them I don't know where Cyane is' Yolanda replied and Lysander tensed.
When she felt his body going rigid, she pulled back to look at him with wide eyes. "You didn't!" Yolanda gasped but ignoring her, Lysander pulled the sticky note from his pocket and handed it over to Ari.
"No" Yolanda cried the very moment Ari muttered his thanks. "Don't you dare hurt her" Yolanda snarled at Ari, who merely raised an eyebrow! "She is finally living her life the way she wants. Let her be!"
"I have direct orders from my queen to bring her back," Ari said with a shrug.
"Cyane won't come back with you. Not willingly after meeting her mate. Your family has disappointed her in more ways than one" Yolanda snapped angrily.
"She met Xanthos a few weeks ago and ever since then, she has been with him. She called occasionally but she has not come back" Lysander supplied pulling his mate back.
"Who is this Xanthos?"
"Everything your family is not" Minerva growled. "He is a rogue and a puppet of King. Cyane is better off without him and your family" she added nastily which caused the other fairies to frown.
"You seem to have a high opinion of my family" Ari drawled in amusement.
"Cyane craved for freedom when I first met her. She wanted some time to live life on her terms and learn better" Yolanda said sharply. "She felt suffocated in your world!"
"Did she tell you that?" Ari demanded.
"Yes."
"Yolanda, it's not like that. Cyane's family was protecting her" Lysander argued.
Ari looked away for a few moments, pinched the bridge of his nose and continued, "Roderick has told you everything?"
"About Cyane, yes" Lysander replied looking Ari in the eyes.
"Told you what?" Yolanda questioned in frustration.
"Cyane is a Lycorian" Ari cut in pointedly. "Not just any Lycorian. She is a Sylvan and like everyone else in the family, she carries the blood of an angel. We are governed by our queen and answer only to her. If Cyane has a problem, then she must talk to the queen. As a Sylvan, she is duty-bound to do that" Ari added carefully.
"Yes, we understand," Lysander said before Yolanda could protest.
"Whatever the case, Cyane is better off without your family. You have lied to her, her entire life" Minerva stated through gritted teeth.
"Every family has its shortcomings. We all tell lies to cover up some ugly truths" Ari smirked looking at Lysander, who compressed his lips.
"Meaning?" Minerva prompted with a scowl.
"That story about Cassius and Georgia... It's very different from the version that I have heard" Ari said taking a step back. "Cassius fell in love, yes. But not with Georgia.... With her younger sister."
"There's a sister?" Minerva asked in surprise and turned to look at her father.
"Yes. Olympia. Georgia's younger sister. No one knows much about her" Lysander supplied hesitantly.
"But everyone knows that they were found together. Cassius and Olympia. Georgia found them in bed."
Minerva grimaced and Lysander closed his eyes.
"Georgia was betrayed by yet another Zeke and she was furious. This time, there was no one stopping her from placing a curse and so she killed Cassius."
After that final remark, Ari stretched his golden coloured translucent wings and flew away. Soon after the other fairies followed and only then did Cyane notice the difference in their wings. While Ari and Cyane had large, translucent wings like that of an eagle, the others in their clan had small, translucent butterfly-like wings.
Minerva continued to watch them until they vanished from their view and then turned her attention back to her father.
"Is it true?"
"As he said, it's another version" Lysander sighed and looked at his mate.
Sighing, Yolanda decided to share what her point of view of the whole story was.
"I believe Cassius fell in love with Olympia. He was an introvert and Olympia was considered an extrovert. It was a case of opposites attract but... Georgia too fell in love with Cassius because that can only explain why she was so furious when she found him with the other woman" Yolanda shared quietly.
"I believe so too. Georgia fell in love with him, but he fell in love with her younger sister. A messy love triangle" Minerva grimaced but Lysander shook his head.
"No one knows a complete truth, except for the three parties involved. One of them is dead, one is in limbo and Olympia.... She just vanished but she came back to fight against her sister."
"Against her sister?" Minerva asked in surprise, as the three of them walked back to their house.
"After placing the three curses on our family, Georgia wanted to wipe out the Zeke and the werewolves from existence. She first went to Lycoris to ask the help of the fairy queen, who thankfully refused, when she sensed the darkness in Georgia. A furious Georgia then locked herself up in a cave for years and created the Liberi as she wanted to wipe out the Zeke and the werewolves from existence. At the same time, Julius's children- Son Aelius and daughter Violet, ended up fighting for the land and they split the kingdom in two."
"Aelius and Scevola" Minerva supplied and Lysander nodded.
"Georgia's curses came true then. There was a constant fight between the two. Aelius lost his first-born immediately afterwards. Violet married a wolf, Gavin Moreno, who was not her mate as she never met her mate, while Aelius, in his power-lust married a strong she-wolf despite having a mate as he blamed her for the death of their first child. He kept his mate as his prisoner and this caused the downfall of the Zeke in the kingdom of Aelius as the wolves here strongly believed in the concept of mates. The wolves of both the kingdoms decided to overthrow the Zeke's because Violet's daughters were no better. It was around this time that the Star Essence of the Alfonsi clan was stolen by some werewolves" Lysander shared quietly.
"Georgia on the other hand used her blood and the blood of a Lynx to create the Liberi. Her children. Ten of them originally but their numbers quickly multiplied because they bit humans and turned them into their kind. Together, they wreaked havoc on the kingdoms of Aelius and Scevola and they were the one's who completely wiped out the Zeke bloodline in Scevola" Minerva inhaled sharply and Lysander nodded grimly.
"When Liberi began to head towards Aelius, the then fairy queen, Varya, who had heard about these creatures, decided to intervene. Varya, was Cyane's great grand-mother and she was no ordinary fairy. Do you remember what Cyane had shared about the Pure Soul Rider?" Lysander asked and Yolanda and Minerva nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Varya was a Pure Soul Rider. The last known so far and she was very, very powerful. With the help of the Pure Soul, Varya was able to take down Georgia and then put her into a deep sleep that rendered the Liberi helpless. Olympia had fought this battle with Varya, thus standing against her sister. It was assumed that the remaining Liberi were all killed immediately afterwards, but it was wrong as I recently found out. The Liberi are still alive and they are the ones who constantly attack Cyane. They have killed her family and they tried to kill her too but she survived all of their attacks."
"Why are they after her?" Yolanda asked with a frown.
"Because they think she is a Pure Soul Rider. Just like Varya; and to wake Georgia from her slumber, Liberi need the blood of the Pure Soul!"
"Is she, the one, I mean?" Minerva asked doubtfully.
"I don't know. Cyane's grandfather was sure she is not but he admitted that she looks like Cyrena. The Angel's daughter, the one who annihilated the Harpies from this planet. Cyrena was also a Pure Soul Rider and she was the most powerful fairy of her time" Lysander said softly.
"Cyane is her direct descendant?" Yolanda questioned and Lysander gave a firm nod. "And only the descendants of Cyrena can be the Pure Soul Rider?"
"Yes."
"No one has seen this Pure Soul?"
"Only the ones he wishes to show himself to can see him! He is the creature the Liberi wants and a fairy clan is almost undefeatable with him around!"
A buzz sound of Lysander's phone vibrating interrupted them and Lysander pulled out his phone and answered the call from Alfred.
"Did you see the pictures?" Alfred asked before Lysander could speak.
"No... wait!"
As Lysander checked his inbox, he was startled to see an array of pictures of dead bodies. If Alfred hadn't written that it was Gunner and his men, then Lysander couldn't have guessed it because Gunner's body was unrecognizable in the picture.
"Who?" Lysander asked Alfred.
"Hound!"
Lysander sighed. Xanthos had killed Gunner, who was known to be an enemy of Stanislaus. Did he do it earn Stanislaus's favour or was there any other ulterior motive? So far, Lysander had never been interested in Xanthos's life but now he knew, he had to take an extra interest.
"They have reached the nest?" Lysander asked his friend.
"Yes. Killing Gunner was a warning from Xanthos. Now, no one can stop him from taking control of the nest!"
"What is the boy doing?" Lysander growled as Yolanda watched him curiously.
"The wolves of the Nest, you know they would side only with money" Alfred reminded.
"Or with Power" Lysander gritted out.
In his plan to uproot Stanislaus, Lysander had once told Gideon how important it was to win over the wolves from the Nest. If winning them over was not possible, then it was essential to have them submit to Minerva, because there were high chances of them being a serious threat to her when she became the Queen! The kingdom also needed those wolves because they were fighters and knew how to defend the kingdom from the intruding Scevola wolves. Killing them was not something Lysander had ever considered but he knew Minerva had to use the power of being Alpha blood to make them submit.
Although Lysander wanted Minerva to earn their respect, he also knew that the rogues of Nest had never followed any rules and were considered savages by the rest of the kingdom. Many bad ones had done some seriously bad things and Lysander had planned to get rid of them because only after those bad ones were out, it was easy for the rest to fall in line.
Gideon was the one who wanted to get rid of the bad ones and Lysander had known he was capable of doing that too but now Xanthos had entered the place. He was there, where Gideon was supposed to go.
"Xanthos has no money" Alfred consoled.
"And no power. But he has Cyane!" Lysander said quietly. If Cyane fought beside Xanthos, then he could take complete control of the Nest in less than a week.
"But she is on our side, right?" Alfred asked unsurely.
Cyane was on their side but Lysander knew, she would be unhappy when her people would come to her. Right now, he did want her family to find and take her back because that is only when Xanthos would fall weak and Xanthos had to lose because if he took control of the Nest, then Stanislaus would be invincible.
Xanthos might have rebelled against the crown for his mate and become a fugitive but that was not how Stanislaus worked. Stanislaus loved the control and he resorted to manipulative techniques to keep that control intact.
For years, Stanislaus had controlled the Hound and there was no way he would so easily let the strings cut loose.
"Maybe she can get Xanthos to our side?" Yolanda asked nervously.
"If Xanthos wanted to be on our side, then he would have come to me for help but he chose to go to the Nest. His choice says it all" Lysander stated flatly.
"What does it say?" Alfred asked, perplexed.
"That he wants Stanislaus's to forgive him. Killing Gunner was just a beginning. Xanthos will now take over the Nest and then hand it over to Stanislaus. All in a week!" Lysander growled.
"What?" Minerva hissed in outrage.
"Bu... but Cyane is his mate" Yolanda stuttered; green eyes troubled in worry.
"Yes, and he intends to keep her with him. Stanislaus has given her a week to leave the kingdom and by the end of this week, Xanthos will offer him the Nest, in exchange for Cyane's freedom."
"My God! I never thought of it that way" Yolanda said shakenly.
"That's because you don't know Cyane's personality. The one thing she craves is freedom. All her life, she has been the good, obedient one and now, she has got the chance to stretch her wings. Xanthos is that freedom to her. He is everything she was told not to be and she is completely smitten by him" Lysander said wryly.
"That means, she is under his spell. Not the other way around" Yolanda said as she dropped down to her seat.
"Which is why Cyane has to go back" Lysander spelt out looking at his mate's eyes and Yolanda nodded reluctantly. "They are mates and I get that but if Xanthos truly wants to be with her, then he must know she is safer away from this kingdom. We will not inform Cyane about Ari's visit and my meet with Roderick. If she comes to know, then she will try to leave the Nest."
"Understood Papa" Minerva whispered while Yolanda simply nodded.
"When Cyane calls, try to get whatever information you can about Xanthos. That boy is more cunning than I had given him credit for" Lysander stated and then placed the phone back to his ears. "Tell all our men to keep a close eye on Nest. I want to know about everything that happens there" he commanded before ending Alfred's call.
•••
Cyane did not imagine Nest in a particular way, because she did not consider it important enough. However, what she saw right now in front of her eyes, completely fitted the image of Nest.
Red.
That was the colour of the mud roads of the Nest.
There was no house. There were shacks, tents, caravan houses and storage houses but they all failed to give a homely vibe. There were no trees in the clearing of the Nest but there was a beautiful background of the Sylvan mountains for Nest was located on the foothills of the Sylvan Mountain Range.
There were no humans in the area. It was all wolves. Some in their animal form but most in their human form and they were all in groups. Cyane was relieved to see a few women but none seemed welcoming. Wolves were fighting across the roads, smoking pot and drinking and having fun but they all paused and turned to look at their incoming jeep, closely followed by Xan's friends in another SUV.
Still gazing in awe at that backdrop of the picturesque Sylvan mountain, Cyane stood up holding the front shield of the jeep in a tight fist and noticed several eyes widening in shock.
She narrowed her eyes but kept her gaze firm as they crossed several shacks and caravans.
"Xanthos" she called her mate, who was driving the jeep. "There are no houses here" she pointed out looking on either side of the road.
"You saw that just now?" Xanthos countered.
"Where are we going to stay?" she frowned.
Xanthos smirked at her before replying, "I will find a place. Big and comfortable!"
"Make sure the ceiling is high and there is no fan in the room" Cyane pointed out and Xanthos furrowed his brows.
He didn't get it but fairies usually lived-in houses with high ceiling because they walked less and flew more. There was no ceiling fan in the castle because a) the weather in the Sylvan mountains was always warm and misty which erased the concept of fan and b) fairies hated ceiling fans because the blades posed a hindrance to their desire to fly in their room.
Cyane hated ceiling fans for the very same reason and she feared the blades would tear her precious wings.
"Anything else?" Xanthos asked quietly as Cyane tried her best to ignore the several pairs of eyes fixed on her.
"They are staring. Why are they staring?" she whispered, eyes on two young wolves who had stopped their brawl and stared at them.
"Maybe it's because you are holding Gunner's blood-soaked chain" Xanthos mused with an amused expression and with widened eyes, Cyane raised her fist in front of her face and saw the chain entwined tightly around her fingers.
She had forgotten about it.
With a grimace, Cyane shook her hand and let the chain drop on to the hood of Xanthos's jeep. As she glanced up, she finally grasped what the people saw.
Gunner was dead.
Cyane had no intention of sending any sort of message to the wolves here but the chain seemed to do the same because there was wariness in the eyes of people when they glanced at her and it honestly made her uncomfortable.
Slowly, she sat back in her seat and once again put on the cap to hide her face. Xanthos notice that but much to her relief did not comment.
He took a couple of turns and then brought the jeep to a halt in front of the only large building in the area. The walls of the building were painted dark red and it had huge barn doors.
Cyane smiled when she saw it because the two-storey barn style house would have high ceilings.
A couple of men stepped out of the house and growled murderously when they saw her. Cyane leaned back in her seat, stunned when they shifted into their wolves and rushed to attack but a louder, powerful growl erupted from beside her and the next thing she saw was Xanthos shifting atop the hood and rushing to attack the wolves.
Brody and Carlos joined him and within minutes they killed off the five men. Cyane was taken aback by this surprise attack and even quicker defence from Xanthos.
Stepping over a lifeless body of one of the dead wolves, Xanthos walked around the jeep and stood in front of it, growling and snarling at anyone who dared to stare at them longer than appropriate.
"Do you need any introduction?" Miki demanded cockily from the people, who pointedly avoided locking eyes with Xanthos.
When there was no reply, Miki continued, "We are here to stay and if any one of you have got a problem with that, now is the time to step up and speak."
The silence continued, much to Miki's satisfaction. "First Lucas and now Gunner, the wolves you considered as strongest are dead. They thought they owned the Nest but Nest is not theirs to be owned and neither is it yours. The Nest is a free haven for anyone seeking shelter. I am sure you have heard of what happened in the palace today and it is true! All of it!" Miki said with a growl and some eyes widened as if they still found that hard to believe.
"We have got a week but, in that week, if any one of you try to act smart and give news about our whereabouts to that crazy fucker sitting in the throne, then rest assured you are going to end up worse than Gunner" Miki warned and as Xanthos bared his fangs, one side of Cyane's lips curved upwards.
"This is not a warning" Miki added, "We don't give warnings. Cross us once and you will not live to tell the tale. We believe in live and let live policy and expect you to respect your life if not ours" Miki said and Jayson chuckled.
"I take it that this building belonged to Gunner once. It's ours now!" Grayson stated flatly and no one argued.
When Miki's carnelian eyes collided with Cyane's he paused and then turned to face their audience once again, "The blood on her face and hands must have given you the message. If you are suicidal or have time to waste, you can test that theory" he added before picking up his bag from the back seat and walking inside.
Hiding a grin, Cyane picked up a pair of shorts for Xanthos and threw them at him when he began to shift back. Xanthos as always was uncaring of his nude state and when Cyane felt a blush creep its way on her cheeks, she cleared her throat and rushed inside the house.
The house was messy with several empty cans of beer bottles, tissues, empty food boxes spread around the house. Papers were scattered all around the table and drops of water kept leaking from the kitchen tap.
The interior of the house was like that of loft houses with a couple of rooms on the above floor. People who lived here earlier had lived here shabbily and Cyane cringed to herself as she wondered how she would survive here for another week!
"We need to disinfect everything. God knows what all this house has witnessed" Grayson grimaced near the doorway.
"I can imagine" Miki commented kicking off empty condom packets. Cyane's eyes rounded when she saw that and she turned her head away. However, when her eyes met Xanthos's cool blue gaze, she once again looked away.
"I want the room on the top" Jayson stated excitedly and began hurrying upstairs.
Firm hands settled on her waist and when Xanthos's hot breath fanned her ears, Cyane closed her eyes. "Go" he whispered next to her ears and Cyane immediately knew what he wanted.
Smiling, she rose high in the air and then stepped into the room at the top before Jayson could.
"Aw come on!" The pup complained while Cyane simply shrugged. Throwing his head back with a groan, Jayson stomped downstairs and settled down on the room below.
From her stance at the top of the house, Cyane settled her hands on the railing and looked down at Xanthos who smirked at her. When his eyes darkened, she felt her heart thump like crazy in her chest. The mark in her neck began to sting and she gulped as a very strange feeling of fear and excitement enveloped her.
Furrowing her brows and shaking her head, Cyane wondered what was happening to her!
Brody nudged Xanthos, calling for his attention and when he turned away, Cyane let out a breath. Turning, she gave her full attention to the room and grimaced when she saw the messed-up bed sheets and lingerie on the floor.
However, she was also surprised to find a pair of binoculars on the bedside table.
Well, that was a surprise. She did not take Gunner to be a star-gazer. But as she thought that Cyane also concluded that the binoculars were used to keep an eye on something else.
Picking it up, she stood near the window and observed.
The first thing she saw was a docked brown coloured tail. Frowning, Cyane focused again and this time she saw a brown coloured Doberman. There was another dog beside it and Cyane knew in her heart it was a Siberian Husky because it was her favourite dog breed but there was a cone around the dog's head, covering its face.
The Doberman on the other hand jumped over a guy and stood on its hind legs. Cyane adjusted the zoom and noticed that there were two men. One was standing and talking, while the other one, who was playing with the dog, had his back to her.
They were standing in front of a large building, the view of which was obstructed by tall trees around the area.
Cyane looked at the chocolate skinned guy but couldn't recognize him because she had never seen him before. Yet, she was sure Gunner was keeping an eye on the man.
The other guy, who was holding the Doberman, turned his head to give his attention to the dog and Cyane stiffened because she recognized that shock of thick black hair.
Lachlan Knox.
The wolf whose daughter was also a fae. The same wolf, who was Ash's bodyguard and who had threatened her three weeks ago.
He was the same guy who wanted to destroy Aelius along with Ash and he was here, closer to the Nest, most likely planning the said destruction!
•••
Closing the door firmly behind her, Minerva locked it and then glanced at her phone.
No missed calls or messages from Ash. She had been waiting since the morning, expecting him to gloat. But there wasn't any call. Neither from Ash nor Skyla.
Something was keeping him busy but Minerva knew what she had to do.
Gunner was dead, just the way Ash wanted and he had already told her what was expected of her and it was time for her to do her bit.
"The king believes Gideon and Lysander work for me. You will prove him right."
Minerva hated that she was playing by Ash's rules but she trusted Gideon, who for some reason trusted Ash to do the right thing. Taking a deep breath, she scrolled through her contacts and searched for Gideon's dad's number.
Exhaling through her mouth, Minerva swiped right and placed her phone next to her ears. The call was answered after several rings and Minerva knew why it took so long.
Alpha Joshua and his mate, were held captive in their own home by the king's men. They were being watched 24X7 and even after knowing that truth, Minerva couldn't go and rescue them. Not without risking everything they have worked for.
"Hello" Alpha Joshua answered the call with a whisper and then cleared his throat.
"Hello, Uncle.... How are you?" Minerva asked quietly.
"I... I am good dear. I... it's been a while since you... you called me!" Gideon's father was stuttering and it made Minerva's wolf whine inside. Had Gideon been here, he would have protected them with his life!
Tears welled up her eyes, but she refused to cry. She knew what she had to do!
"I have been busy.... With our plans" Minerva said getting off the bed and walking towards the window.
"Pa... Plans?"
Minerva could almost imagine the frown on Alpha Joshua's face. He would think wrongly of her and so, she needed to assure him that this was all planned.
"Gideon's plan's Alpha. He asked me to make the next move!"
There was complete silence on the other end for a second, before she heard movements and a low growl.
Minerva's eyes hardened as she stared at her reflection through the window glass, for she knew she had their attention.
"I, I...I don't understand dear. Minerva, what are you saying?" Alpha Joshua asked confused. "What plans?"
There was another growl and Minerva narrowed her eyes.
"Who growled?" she asked intentionally through clenched teeth.
"Uh... Just some pack wolves. I am out with the wolves.... Training them!" Alpha Joshua lied badly.
"Well, I suppose you are busy" Minerva drawled.
"Yes" Alpha Joshua seemed eager to cut the call but Minerva knew the king's people wouldn't allow him to end it so easily. Not when they believed they had some lead.
"I mean no. No. I am not busy" Alpha Joshua contradicted and Minerva closed her eyes. "You were telling me about Gideon's plans, dear... I do hope no one is around you."
Minerva smiled sadly because she understood what the Alpha was trying to convey. "It doesn't matter if anyone is around me uncle. We are in the last stage of our plan and there is no stopping us now."
"Minerva—" Alpha Joshua gasped.
"Papa and Gideon have negotiated with Ash. Together they will take down King Stanislaus."
Minerva cut the call immediately after and gasped repeatedly to push back her wolf.
She did it!
She let the king's men believe that her father and Gideon were working with Ash. She did what Ash asked her to do.
This single phone call would be enough evidence for Stanislaus and Minerva knew he would exploit it badly. He would charge Gideon's parents with treason and Minerva winced when she thought about the public's reaction to the trial.
Her wolf growled loudly and opening her eyes, she once again stared at her reflection in the window. Her eyes were dark and her fangs were out.
"They will be charged but they won't be executed."
Ash had assured her of their protection and this was the chance for that wretched wolf to prove himself. She had done her end of the deal and if anything went wrong, Minerva knew there would be nothing stopping her from tearing Acheron Zeke to shreds.
Even though her wolf wanted to be let out, Minerva pushed her back and refused to shift.
She would bottle up her rage and fury. She would keep them in and let them out on the day of the trial because Minerva did not doubt in her mind that the king's men were moving into action.
She didn't know what she was in Ash's game but he was setting out a trap for King Stanislaus and since so far, everything had gone according to his plans, she wished this time would be no different!
****
So, we got a backstory. Which version do you think is true? I wanted to make a whole chapter out of it but the events took place over a course of time and it was better to explain rather than go about in details...
Hope you liked this chapter. Who do you think is the bad guy in the back story?
Please vote, comment and share. I love reading what you have to say :D
Next update on 27th or 28th March!
Stay safe Lovelies :-*