Everyone reacts to death differently. But how are you supposed to act in the moment? What do you do when the one thing you can depend on leaves?
Ana's screams fill the quiet space as the rain starts to pick up. No one knows who exactly starts it but each side charges at each other; Raphael feels as though his insides have been ripped out and feasted upon.
Raphael stares at the beautiful girl bleeding out in her friends arms, he thinks of everything they could have had together, everything he would have done for her. The anger suddenly becomes too much and his pupils dilate, seething rage floods through his veins.
His eyes land on the smirking General Iro and with no hesitation he leaps towards him. Raphael's large clawed hand grasps General Iro's head; the generals eyes widens with fear and he shrieks trying desperately to flee from the beasts claws.
Raphael roars with sorrow and with his bare hands; he crushes the generals skull with a sickening crunch as blue blood flies everywhere.
He roars into the rain wishing it would wash away the pain that's coursing through him. He rampages, killing everything in his path. Pain tends to blind people, they'll do anything to make it stop.
Draconian slowly approaches Ana, he too can't deny the sorrow he feels for his claimed and his brother who have both lost a worthy being. Ana looks so broken in this moment; clinging onto a corpse.
Draconian can feel her pain through their half completed bond. He slowly approaches from behind her, wrapping his arms around her and breathing her in has relief and peace finally soothe him.
Hoping- begging, he can bring her some peace, he squeezes her tightly. She leans back against him sobbing for her god to bring Sophie back. Her council stands back, either fighting or crying; all unsure of what to do.
Raphael approaches Sophie's body with the blue sticky liquid dripping off of him. He falls to his knees and pulls the small girls body into his warm embrace.
"What are you doing?" Ana starts to panic as Raphael stands and starts walking away with her friends corpse in his arms.
"Stop it!" She creams as draconian holds her back. "Tell him to stop! Bring her back!"
"Shh." Draconian tries to hush her, "you have lost a friend and a family member, but he has lost part of his soul. I know you don't understand and I won't force you to. But give him this, little female. He will never find another to fill the void her loss has created. That is how powerful the claim is- he will be broken and lost without her."
"The pain must be unimaginable." Veil turned away to wipe a stray tear from his cheek. It was every creatures worst fear; to lose their other half.
"I don't care just bring her back! Please!" Ana sobbed, her grief far too great to see reason or anyone else's side. "I'll never be able to fill the void either, so bring her back!"
"Come little female." He stood with Ana in his arms, "tell me where to bring her." He instructed her council. And one by one they walked numbly to the palace. Ana watching Raphael walk away with her best friend, over Draconian's shoulder. Her white hair flowing down to the blood stained ground.
A pale hand swaying bonelessly as they disappeared into the storm.
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Ana was heartbroken. She never imagined this scenario, not once did it ever cross her mind. For the past three days she had stayed in the shadows of the palace walls, mourning a loss that has undoubtedly shaken the kingdom.
The kingdom held a memorial for all of those who perished in the quick battle. It lasted about two days but the cleanup would take months to complete. It would be even longer for those who had lost a loved one.
Ana and the council decided it would be best to leave Sophie's position empty for now. Everyone knew the task at finding someone half as good as Sophie would be daunting.
The council had tried to keep order and stability; they had done an amazing job but the people wanted to hear from their queen. To know her and her heir were okay.
She couldn't face them with a lie. She's not okay and she refuses to fake it in front of women who would die for her. They deserve honesty and when she can, she'll give it to them.
But for know everything is on hold, all of her meetings and responsibilities. She desperately needs peace from the sleepless nights and the nightmares.
Draconian follows her in the shadows, his men ordered to help her council with everything they can. He had made is presence known and it became clear he was going no where.
In the early hours of the fourth morning, he finds her sitting on the balcony staring towards the ice mountains where Sophie's home sat untouched.
She wears a pale ivory night slip, she became increasingly more uncomfortable the closer she gets to her due date but the night slip is light and silky. Soft on her uncomfortable skin.
Draconian who had been training, stands quietly in front of her. She hadn't taken the time to really look at him, she hadn't taken the time to even talk to him.
But she does then. She notices how his inky hair had gotten a little longer and how he had taken the nipple piercing out. Sweat glistens off his chest and his thick erection pressed against his trousers.
She meets his hungry eyes but soon turns away. Too soon for him. He grips her Chin and turns her back to face him with a disapproving frown.
"Don't ignore me Ana. I've allowed it for the past four days but now I ask of you- I beg of you to take it out on me if you must. Take out your anger, your fear, your hunger. Everything- I'm here little female not a creature on this rock will remove me from your side."
"I thought you'd be angry at me." She mumbles watching his frown deepen.
"Make no mistake. I'm furious but that can wait. Right now you need me and I need you." She yelps as he scoops her up and places her softly on her bed.
His eyes linger on her swollen tummy and a clawed palm stays there as if he was afraid the baby would disappear any moment.
"I don't want your pity." She glares at him. "I don't want an unfaithful male by my side."
Draconian growls and walks away from her, to the opposite side of the room. His chest rising with angry breaths, "it was a misunderstanding that I should have remedied as soon as I brought you here. I will apologize until the day I die if that is what it takes. I swear my allegiance and myself, body and soul, to you."
Oh screw it she's pissed.
why not push him. "It seems to me your body belongs to any female suited to your appetite." She hisses and he scowls.
"What? Did you think I'd be okay sharing what's mine?" She stood glaring at him angrily, "you betrayed my trust you stupid man whore!" She shouts and within a second he has her trapped against the wall.
Their noses touching, his fangs shining, and his eyes red, "I will beg, I will plead, I will do whatever it takes. Curse me, abuse me, kill me if you must but my love is yours and it always will be."
The anger leaves her as soon as the word leaves his mouth. Her lips part in shock, "b-but you said your kind couldn't fall in love."
His forehead bumps against hers and his eyes shine with adoration for the woman in front of him. "You've proved me wrong time and time again. I imagine I'll have to get used to it." He chuckles.
"I've never craved anyone's existence, like I do yours. From the moment you crashed into my life I have been over whelmed with the fear that I'm not good enough for you. That I could never please you. But I beg you now-" he goes down on his knees and wraps his arms around her tightly, "let me try." She cries.
She cries for the same love she feels for him. The same fear and worry.
She grabs his throat harshly and stares into his eyes with tears running down her cheeks, "If you ever betray me again- I'll kill you myself." She promises.
And he smiles having no doubt that she would.
She hugs him closer to her, his head nestled on her breasts and his claws lightly scraping her skin from their tight embrace. For the first time in four days she finally feels at peace.
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Deep in the iced mountains Raphael sits huddled into the corner of her bedroom. His back and chest bleeding from the struggle; the indentations of small claw marks spreads across his back. He watches her with wide eyes.
He's biting his lip so hard that his fangs draw blood. Her naked pale skin is beautiful and flawless until she turns to face him. Two large bite marks on the sides of her neck.
A matching one on the inside of her breast and the last on her hip. The wound the general left was gone; nothing but a pale patch of pink skin left as a reminder. Her angry eyes clash with his. They'd never completely heal due to how deep he bit into her; her skin would forever wear his mark.
She rubs her eyes and groans because her sore limbs ache painfully. She shivers as her body bursts back to life after being cold and dead for four days.
He lets his eyes wonder from her beautiful face to her perky breasts and hard pink nipples that ache for his touch. His cock twitches in his pants as she sits up, her toes brushing the cool ground.
Her eyes widen at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, small dainty fangs that disappear between her full lips. One eye the same color crimson as Raphael's. Her fingernails sharpened into small claws.
She starts to panic and she cradles her face in her hands, Raphael stands and embraces her in a tight hold.
"What did you do to me?!" She screams, "what did you do!" her body shakes and he squeezes her tighter.
"I would rather you despise me for this, for the rest of my life, then exist in a world where you do not." He mumbles into her hair as her claws dig into his skin.
Her tear stained eyes look up at him and his hand wraps softly around her pale throat. His thumb rubs over her pulse and as she digs her claws into his back even deeper, he captures her mouth with his.
She moans and pushes away searching his face. For any disgust or disappointment but all she sees is hunger and admiration. She straddles his lap, slowly never turning from his gaze. Testing their uneasy bond.
He watches her carefully too afraid to move for fear she'd leave him hanging in his blissful agony. She places slow soft kisses on his warm lips. He kisses her back when she snakes her tongue into his mouth.
Raphael wraps one arm around her waist and the other goes under her butt. Their noses brush softly together as they continue kissing each other softly, both desperate to make the moment last.
But Sophie breaks away her tear stained cheeks now a perfect shade of pink. He chases her lips but she turns away. "What'd you do to me Raphael?"
He lets his face fall onto her chest. "You will hate me." He mumbles but she cannot deny that she just might.
"What did you do?"