HOLA,
Lycorians... You have heard about them from the start of the story and here it is, the first proper introduction to them. Presenting Chapter 17 and it is dedicated to @zube123 :D
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PAPAYA:
Papaya has good water and fibre content and that aids in digestion as it helps body metabolise and break down food faster. Although it is sweet, it is also great for people who have diabetes because it's natural and low sugar content.
Other than boosting immunity, papaya also protects your heart and supports good eye and kidney health. Papaya seeds though bitter help in treating intestinal worms and I remember eating that as a kid. Also, the juice of papaya leaves is used to boost up the count of platelets in dengue treatment.
Papaya is packed with vitamins that has anti-aging properties. It not only makes the skin look brighter and smoother but also keeps wrinkles at bay. The papain enzyme of the papaya fruit is a great aid to exfoliate dead skin and moisturize dry skin.
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"Never judge another knight without first knowing the strength and cunning of the dragons he fights."
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
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CHAPTER 17 – LYCORIANS
Five seconds later, the bedroom door flew open again and Cyane stood in the doorway with a horrified look in her face.
Theos! How could she forget what she had done to his room?
When he saw her horrified expression, Xanthos just compressed his lips and nodded slowly.
"Sygnómi" she apologized sincerely. She hadn't meant to do that. The energy inside her had been like a bubbling volcano and it had just erupted. What had made her furious was the sight of his ex-girlfriend and she had been unable to hold back.
The energy had spread in a wave around her, destroying everything in its way. The choice had been to do that secretly in his room or in the room where his friends were also around. It wouldn't have killed them but they would have felt like they had lost a layer of their skin. So, according to her, his room had been a kinder option.
"English please," he said politely.
Cyane was about to apologize again, but then she wondered, why should she? His friends were the ones who kidnapped her in the first place and even after she had escaped, he had brought her back here.
She wasn't the only one at fault, he was too and it seems, she had underestimated Xanthos because he was far too clever. He had known from the start that she could talk, but he had played along and she was curious to know why he had done it.
Raising her chin, she walked haughtily and sat on one corner of the couch.
"What do you want in return?" she asked looking at him.
"Isn't it obvious?" he countered walking back to his seat on the chair and straddling it again.
"Not to me" she replied.
"Where is Gideon?" he asked her and she frowned.
"I don't know" she shrugged and when he cocked an eyebrow, she frowned at him. "The other guy has him... Ash or whatever else you people call him."
"You people?"
"I am not like you," Cyane said smugly and he noticed that, but he didn't explore further.
Instead, he next wanted to know, "Why did you stay here when you knew Miki wanted to kidnap Minerva?"
"As a distraction," she said with a grin and one corner of his lips twitched upwards. His friends were stupid and she would have told him that outright but she didn't because she knew she was in the wrong. They weren't stupid. They just trusted the wrong person, which in this case was her.
But Xanthos wasn't stupid and she realized that just now.
Quiet. Astute. Ominous.
Those were the adjectives that aptly describe him and she had to be extra careful around him because if he failed to get answers from her directly, what's to say he wouldn't use the indirect method, now that he knew she was attracted to him.
Theé mou! Her lips still tingled from where his mouth had fused with hers and she crossed her arms across her chest to prevent her fingers from brushing against her lips.
"From?"
"You guys wanted Minerva and she had someplace else to be."
"And you left because?" he dragged the last word.
Cyane's eyes widened and she shot him a murderous glare, before looking away and refusing to answer that.
"And you were to go to Lysander?" Xanthos probed and got no reply to that either. "But you didn't make it to his home...." He trailed off and she looked at him through the corner of her eyes to see that he was dialling someone's number.
Holding the screen towards her, he kept his phone on speaker and Cyane furrowed her brows when she heard it ringing until it was answered.
"Hello?" Lysander said from the other side and her lips parted company as she leaned forward in her seat.
Xanthos smirked coldly and she glared at him.
"Hello?" Lysander said again and with his eyes, Xanthos indicated for her to give a reply.
"Uh... hello!" she said nervously.
"Cyane?" Lysander said from the other end and watched as Xanthos stiffened in his seat and glared at the phone like it was Lysander himself.
He hated Lysander. Of course, he did! He worked for the king. How could she forget that?
"Uh... yeah! Yes. It is me!" she said placing her palms on either side of her head.
"Where did you go to? I came to pick you up in the Market, but you weren't there. Where did you go?" Lysander's voice was frantic.
"I..." Cyane hesitated.
"Cyane... what's happened, darling? What did your fiancé do?" Yolanda asked gently. Xanthos's head shot up and he growled loudly. Icy blue eyes turning dark at the mention of the word fiancé.
"Who growled? Who is that? Cyane, where are you?" Lysander asked instantly. Xanthos was glaring at her and she knew, he expected her to cover it up.
"He... he... uh.... Nothing. He... nothing. I went back to him. I am with him" she said slowly and Xan's glare softened. She supposed, he thought she made the whole fiancé thing up and she was grateful. "I am so sorry; I couldn't call sooner."
"Cyane, who growled?" Lysander pressed.
"It's one of my grandpa's friends. We are all together. Everything is fine" She even chuckled for further emphasis.
"Cyane, you know you can tell me things. Is he threatening you or something? Because, to me, you don't sound like you are happy to be with him" Yolanda said gently.
"We are working things out" she replied quickly. "It's too early to say anything."
"I understand," Yolanda said gently. "But are you safe?"
"Yes. Yes. I am. He cannot hurt me" She looked Xanthos in the eye when she said those last words and he simply stared at her.
"No. He cannot. You are very strong. But the moment you feel unsafe or threatened or unhappy in that relationship, walk away Cyane. You have done it once and you know you can do it again" Yolanda said kindly and cringing, Cyane closed her eyes, but that couldn't stop her from feeling the heat of Xanthos's furious glare.
"Yes. Thanks for that" Cyane said in dark humour.
"Min wanted to talk to you. She wanted to tell you what happened the other day" Yolanda began softly. "Are you free to talk to her?"
She looked at Xanthos and still glaring at her, he nodded. But Cyane refused to go further. He had forced her to reveal so much, but she refused to give in further. This was something she could control and now, the power lied with her, not him.
He might compel her to stay here by blackmailing her but he couldn't compel her to do things she did not want to do.
"No. I am not free" she said out loud and smiled when his artic eyes hardened. "I will call you when I am. Bye." Leaning forward, she stabbed the red button on the screen. As she did that, her neck hurt but she ignored the ache.
"Fiancé?" Xanthos hissed, with a louder growl as he got off the chair. "You are to get married?"
"None of your business" she muttered.
Xanthos took two steps closer and Cyane leaned back in her seat. "Who is he? Where is he?" Xanthos demanded.
"I said none of your business" Cyane hissed with a glare of her own.
"The hell it isn't" Xanthos growled looking down at her, "Who is this guy?"
Cyane refused to answer him and refused to look at him.
The silence was completely deadly and through the corner of her eyes, she watched his clenched fist. Then she did the mistake of looking at his face and noticed the way, his eyes had turned dark and the way the veins in his neck popped out dangerously.
"Who. Is. He?" The growl that emanated from him echoed all around the room and never before in her life, had Cyane heard a growl that loud and threatening.
It had her heart banging against her chest and she lowered her lashes.
Alpha wolves weren't like the other wolves. They had considerable power and they could be dangerous. She had heard that but for the first time, she had come across one such wolf. Xanthos had considerable power in this part of the kingdom and he had a name and a reputation that invoked fear. She supposed that was why his power was affecting her.
He wasn't looming over her or threatening her but the aura around him was dangerous and she knew if he didn't get an answer anytime soon, he would lose control to his wolf.
"It doesn't matter" she bit out, irritated that he was getting to her. "I ran away from the wedding."
As the words processed in his mind, she saw the changes in his reaction. First, he unclenched his fists and Cyane noticed the blood in his palms and claws. Then, she noticed the change in his breathing level. It gradually turned to normal as he turned away and then twisted his neck a few times and flexed his fingers until his claws vanished from view. When he turned to face her, there was a much calmer look, "You ran away from the wedding?" he confirmed.
Cyane shot him a dull look before saying, "You are bleeding." The sight of his blood bothered her and she didn't want to know why!
"I will heal" he dismissed easily, before asking, "Why did you run away from your wedding?"
"Because I didn't want to get married," she said rolling her eyes.
"Your family was coercing you?" he asked quietly.
"No" Cyane shrank in her seat.
"Then?"
"I did not want to get married and I did not have the guts to tell it to my grandmother until it was too late" Cyane shared reluctantly. "So, I ran on the wedding day and somehow ended up in this kingdom" she gritted out angrily.
"So, you are from Scevola?" he mused and she didn't bother correcting him. "And you believe Ash has Gideon?"
"Yes. That guy dared to call Minerva and gloat about it. She was supposed to meet him in the café if only your foolish friends did not interfere" Cyane scowled.
"What's to say Gideon and Ash are not working together to take down the king?" Xanthos asked.
"Gideon is not working with him. As you already know Gideon is with Lysander, not Ash who by the way, hates Lysander."
"He hates the king too" Xanthos intoned.
"That guy is twisted. I don't know anything about him apart from the fact that he hates Lysander and he is a kidnapper. Just like you" Cyane accused but Xanthos wasn't the least bit affected by it.
Of course! How could she forget that he already had a criminal record! He killed people and he was bad.
Before she could get further lost in her thoughts, Xanthos spoke abruptly, "Ash attacked the warehouse that day. I was knocked out by the time he came there; did you see him?"
"If I had seen him, I wouldn't have allowed him to take Gideon" Cyane swore and Xanthos narrowed his eyes.
"Nevertheless, I still find it hard to believe Ash and Gideon aren't together" he shrugged and she frowned at him.
"Of course, they are not together!" Cyane argued fiercely.
"There's no of course about it from where I am seeing," Xanthos said flatly.
"I told you he called and threatened Minerva. She went to Ash's place to rescue Gideon and—" Cyane paused, wondering if she let out more than intended.
"And?" Xanthos probed.
"And she came back without him" Cyane muttered defeatedly.
Xanthos chuckled, "You expect me to believe that story?"
"It's not a story. It's the truth and she would have told me everything, if only you had not kidnapped me."
"She wanted to talk to you on the phone. I can call her if you—"
"No" Cyane snapped and Xanthos raised his head. She wouldn't talk to Minerva. Not with him present in the same room.
The silence lingered for a while until Xanthos broke it, "Your story doesn't add up. I think Lysander, Gideon and Ash are conspiring against the king."
She wanted to ask what is it to him even if they did? Why did he care so much about the king? Who was the king to him? She didn't only because she knew he wouldn't answer her questions.
"I don't have anything to do with this. Your king is not my king and I don't care what happens to him" she stated and it wasn't the complete truth. She did want Lysander to end the king's rule. That's was also partly why she was after the Star essence.
"I do and it seems... so does Lysander," Xanthos said calmly and Cyane was perplexed. "He cares about you."
Her eyes widened as she slowly realized what he was about to say next, "And as long as you are with me, neither he nor Gideon will dare to make a move against the king."
"If you tell Lysander I am here, he will be here in no time" Cyane growled and Xanthos smirked. "There will be a war."
"Let there be one. Lysander anyhow wants war and his wish is going to come true, sooner than he expected" Xanthos shrugged.
"People will die" she argued and there was that shrug again. It made her so furious that she wanted to thump him. Hard.
"You don't care, but I do" Cyane hissed and Xanthos's eyes brightened because he knew he had her.
"If you don't want wolves going on a war for you, all you have to do is stay here," he said quietly and outraged, Cyane stood up.
"I have run away from my wedding for freedom. I don't want to go back home because I want that freedom to experience things and you think, you can keep me captive here?" she snapped furiously.
How dare he? How dare he threaten her like that?
Xanthos simply stared at her and the nodded slowly, "I am not keeping you captive. You are free to do as you please.... Except for leave from here."
"That's still captivity" she frowned.
"Let's negotiate then" he suggested and she crossed her arms against her chest, waiting for him to continue.
When he walked towards her, Cyane stared at him and when he was standing right in front of her, she uncrossed her arms and held her breath, when her amethyst eyes collided with his sapphire blue ones.
Cyane knew she could easily beat him and leave from here, but there was something that was prohibiting her from doing so. She couldn't point it out but she felt pain all over her body at the thought of him getting hurt.
She just couldn't bear the thought of something happening to him. She simply couldn't.
When he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him, so that there was no distance between them, her heart skipped a beat in shock. His touch raised a storm of fire on her skin cells and it spread all over her body, that had her knees turn to cotton wool. It was a good thing he was holding her or else Cyane was sure, she would swoon.
He brought his head drifting down to hers and whispered against her cheeks, "Do you feel that?"
Yes, she did. She felt a lot of things when he touched her like this or when he was simply in the same room as hers and she had never felt anything like this before.
As a reply to his question, Cyane simply nodded, loving the feeling of being crushed against his wide, powerful chest. His mouth was hot against her cheek and it had her heart galloping in her chest.
"That's because you are my mate and I am yours"
Dazed, Cyane looked at him with bemused eyes until the true meaning of his words sank into her.
No.
Yes!
A voice in her head argued and Cyane shook her head. It cannot... It is highly possible.
She had followed her mother's footsteps in every single way. From being a fairy to being mated to a werewolf!
Theos! Her grandpa was right... she did have a mate!
That explained why she was crazily attracted to him. Why only he stood out to her every single time and why his touch made her feel giddy.
Gasping, she pulled away from him and looked around in disbelief, while Xanthos carefully watched her every move.
"Do you know what that means?" he asked her and she nodded.
"My parents were mates."
"It also means that I am not letting you go so that you can get married to another guy" Xanthos gritted out and she looked at him in shock.
"I told you I ran away because I didn't want to get married to him and I am not going home because I have been caged all my life and for the first time, I am free. So, no, even though you are my mate, you are not allowed to hold me captive. No one is" Cyane spelt out clearly, her stance firm on this.
Xanthos nodded thoughtfully and then took a step back, "You are craving for freedom to experience life, right?" Xanthos began and Cyane compressed her lips.
It was true. She did but she also had given another responsibility to herself and that was to go to the Iron Fort. She had to put it first but Gian had asked her for one month and she didn't know how she was going to spend the remaining three weeks of that month.
"Make a list."
"A list?"
He had her complete attention.
"Of the things you want to do," Xanthos said and Cyane tucked her lips inside her mouth. There were so many things, the list would be endless. She wanted to do everything that was forbidden in the castle. She wanted to do everything that she wanted and along with all this, she also wanted to go inside the Iron Fort.
The thought of making the list... that was exciting. But giving it to Xanthos... she wasn't so sure of that. What if he took advantage of it?
She didn't want to trust him. However, she also couldn't deny that he was her mate and that bond... even her grandmamma respected that bond because it was truest and purest.
It was true she could not trust Xanthos but the other truth was that she liked being around him and she was curious about him. If she stayed with him, she could get to know him. For the first time in her life, Cyane was into a guy. She had developed a hopeless crush on him and she didn't know how far it could go but she wanted to find out. Plus, she could also experiment with many other things when she was with him because she had a feeling that he never followed any rules. He wouldn't hold her back. That thought was even more exciting!
"I will get my wish and you'll get what?"
"Time" Xanthos said and she was curious, why did he need time and for what? Did he need time for Lysander not to attack the king?
She supposed he did and if that was so, then it worked in her favour because that is exactly what she wanted as well.
She wanted to be completely prepared with all the information about the Iron Fort and once she had the star essence, Lysander and Minerva's job would be ten times easier.
"Okay," she said and surprise flared in his eyes before he nodded.
"Okay?"
"As long as I am free to do what I want." It was a win for her in many ways because not only did it give her time, it also gave Minerva some time. Maybe at that time, Minerva will be better prepared to face Ash again!
Cyane could only see how it worked in her favour until she saw a black spot, "Your friends hate me."
"And it bothers you?"
"Well, wouldn't they be curious as to why I am staying here, with you?"
"I will make something up," he said simply.
"You won't tell them about Lysander?" Now that came to her as a surprise!
Hmm. He did not completely trust his friends. He had severe trust issues, even with the people he called friends.
"If they come to know it'll spread like bushfire until it reaches the king or Lysander. Is that what you want?" He raised one dark brown brow and Cyane compressed her lips before shaking her head.
"Good."
Before he could ask further, someone banged the front door loudly and growling, Xanthos strode forward to open it. His friends were on the other side and she rolled her eyes when she saw Miki's glare.
"You found her and you didn't bother telling us?" Miki demanded striding into the room. "Why the hell did you get her back here? Why is she wearing torn clothes and what the hell is wrong with her scent?"
"It was already torn when I picked it" Cyane lied because she did not want to talk about it.
But no one heard her when Grayson said, "You marked her?"
At first, Cyane did not get it, but when she did her eyes rounded in disbelief and her hand stroked the uneven surface of the skin on her neck. She then remembered what Xanthos had done to her in the woods and how he was able to get her here.
He had bitten her!
"You bit me?" she asked in outrage as she gently rubbed the tender skin with her fingertips. What did he do to her? Why did she feel a slight bump over there?
She had heard about marking... It's what a wolf did to his mate to claim her as his.
Miki and Brody were staring at her like she had grown two heads. "You marked her? Why the hell did you mark her?"
"Marking is serious Xan. It's like a claim" Brody warned.
"I think I made that clear yesterday," Xanthos said casually.
"Why would you mark her?" There was disdain in Miki's voice and Xanthos growled in warning. "No, seriously, we do not mark girls we have the hots for. We simply do not mark girls. Period."
"What he said" Brody pointed his chin towards Miki.
"This is serious stuff Xan. It won't pass away. It requires... commitment" Grayson whispered the last word like it was something offensive.
Cyane who was still reeling in shock after the realization, stood up and looked at Xanthos, with a frown, "Why did you do this?"
Xanthos stared at her for a while and then said, "Because you are mine."
Her eyes widened and beside her, Brody inhaled sharply. "Ti Ípes Tóra?" Cyane demanded then shook her head. "What does that mean?" she asked with a scowl.
"The same as it sounds" Xanthos replied flatly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Xan" Brody moved closer to him and stood in front of him, covering Xanthos from her view. "Is she your mate? Is that why?" he asked in a low voice. She couldn't hear or see what reply Xanthos gave, but Brody cursed almost immediately.
"What? She is your mate?" Miki was perplexed.
"Yes," Xanthos said simply and Cyane gasped. Why did he reveal that to his friends?
"What? How...?" Miki paused and shook his head, "How do you know she is the one?"
"I just do" Xanthos shrugged.
"We don't have mates anymore. We are cursed not to have one" Brody pointed out.
"No. That's not true" Grayson countered immediately. "We do have one but in the past wolves have chosen differently and that is why it's not as easy to find a mate these days but I suppose almost all members in your family were mated wolves."
"What's my non-existent family got to do with anything?" Xanthos asked sharply.
"It means your parents were mates and so were hers" Brody intoned and Cyane watched as Xanthos's face turned to the stone right in front of her eyes. "Did you ask her about her family? Or was she lying about that too?"
"I was about to ask that when you interrupted" Xanthos growled.
"Never mind.... We can ask her now!" Miki grinned evilly and then he was right in front of her face. Cyane stepped back and when her calf muscles hit the sofa, she immediately sank into it.
"Lady Tarzan" Miki dragged.
"It's Cyane" Xanthos interrupted.
Miki looked at him through the corner of his eyes, before looking back at her, "You know what we are right?"
"Zóo" she answered softly and he furrowed his brows, "It means animal."
Miki scowled before continuing, "Not just any animal. We are wolves. Deadly and dangerous."
Cyane rolled her eyes and it offended all the wolves in the room because they all growled at her. "My father was one and my grandfather is one. I am not scared of wolves because my grandfather made sure I can beat you all up." She might have exaggerated a bit but she wasn't going to rectify her statement, especially not after they gave another loud growl.
"Is that a fact?" Brody growled and Cyane nodded.
"I would like to see you try" Miki taunted.
"Don't tempt me" Cyane warned and Xanthos placed a hand on Miki's shoulder to pull him back. Brody and Grayson were staring at her quietly as she leaned back in her seat.
"Why did you stay here these two days? What do you want from us?" Brody questioned.
Cyane's eyes flickered to Xanthos. He said he would give an explanation to his friends and now was the time, "She stayed because she has no place else to go."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She has run away from her wedding." Cyane scowled at Xanthos, not liking the fact that he shared that with his friends.
"Oh" Brody's mouth curved to form a perfect O.
"They were forcing her?" Grayson probed and Xanthos nodded. Cyane wanted to correct him, but she did not because that would cause more questions.
"So, her family isn't ready to take her back?" Miki asked doubtfully.
"More like she is not ready to go back."
"Will she ever go back?" Brody asked and Cyane nodded.
"How much time do you need to go back to your family?" Miki asked her directly.
Cyane did not even think before saying, "A month?"
"Fine. She can stay here for a month, but then, I want her gone" Miki told Xanthos, who growled. "I don't care if she is your mate, but she is bad news."
Cyane glared at him but he ignored her.
"She can stay as long as she wants," Xanthos said through gritted teeth.
Before Miki could argue, Grayson stepped forward and placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Okay! It's your apartment after all and she is your mate. You guys do as you like. We won't be a problem."
"Unless she fucks up again!" Brody warned and Cyane nodded.
Miki just gritted his teeth and looked away, refusing to agree with his friends.
There was complete silence until Grayson broke it, "Well, if everything is settled, then I better go" Grayson began and Xanthos frowned at him.
"Why? Where are you going?"
"Iron Fort" Grayson answered and Cyane's eyes flew open as she heard the words. "I have taken a job as entrance guard there and I am to start from today," he said with a grin.
"Another job? Man! You already work like eighteen hours a day" Miki frowned.
"I know. But Jayson wants to go to college and I need to hoard up as much as possible" Grayson smiled.
"That kid is clever. He can easily earn a scholarship" Xanthos said ignorantly.
"But we have to think of other possibilities too" Grayson reminded with a sigh, "I don't want him to be disappointed. I want him to go to college and have a better life."
"You know you can make more money in the cage" Brody pointed out.
"And risk getting myself killed or end up in a wheelchair? No. Thanks. I had tried that once and I lost. I am not as good a fighter as Xan or you. It's not a job I can do but being a watchman in Iron Fort is something I can do" Grayson grinned.
"Yeah... I heard the only actual job there is to make sure to feed the creature in time" Miki chuckled.
A creature? So, there was a creature in there!
"Hey, if you do notice that creature, just send me a picture of it" Miki requested.
"Umm... the last guard there told me that anyone who enters the Fort, won't come out alive. All we have to do is throw the food from time to time and the creature will come and eat it when it sees it fit."
"Has he seen it?" Xanthos asked.
"No one has seen it. They only ever heard it screaming. I only know that it likes raw meat and loves to scream" Grayson muttered and Cyane stiffened.
Now, she did want to go in there!
"You heard that?" Miki asked loudly and Cyane jumped in her seat because her sole attention had been fixed on Grayson. "If you try to act smart, then I am going to throw you into the Iron Fort" he threatened and Cyane grinned widely.
There was no need for him to throw her there. She would go in there herself.
Miki shot her a withering look and then left.
Cyane wanted a legitimate reason to stay here, other than Xanthos or his blackmail or his deal, and now, she had one.
Bit by bit, she would collect the information from Grayson and step by step, she would plan her moves and get the Star Essence out of the Iron Fort.
•••
Lysander watched as with a defeated sigh, Yolanda dropped the phone on the dining table and went upstairs to their daughter's room.
He picked up the phone and noticed that the screen showed Unknown Number, which meant he couldn't call back or trace it. The call from the first two days had also been similar.
Something was wrong...
He had a gut feeling about it. Cyane had been waiting for him at the market. When Lysander had described her to the police officer there, he had immediately identified her and had told him that the girl looked scared. He had gone looking for her, but she had suddenly vanished.
Lysander knew how Cyane was able to do that but what he didn't know was why she did that? Why did she run away?
Things never seemed to add up when it came to her. She was a fairy and he knew how powerful the Lycoris fairies were. He had seen it first-hand when he had lived there. She was powerful and... she had a connection with Ash.
Lysander's wolf snarled ferociously within him the moment he thought about the wolf who had hurt his daughter and threatened her mate. But Gideon had made a deal with Ash and now, Lysander's hands were bound.
As long as Gideon was with Ash, Lysander knew he and Minerva couldn't create a scene. He had to stay low key and let Ash do his work.
Growling, Lysander got off the chair and went out for some fresh air. He turned on the sprinklers and watched as the water sprinkled all over the tomato plants.
The last time his hands were bound, he had to watch his uncle Xander, a father figure in his life, die and his mate being dragged away by her father. His wolf trembled and howled in pain, as he recalled Yolanda's screams that day.
They had gotten through that. Somehow, they had gotten through that but that one incident had left a scar in their lives. A scar that always reminded both of them of what they had lost.
He has a spell around him papa... protection around him. Cyane was right. There are other creatures out there.
Minerva had shared that bit when she had been sobbing in his arms on the boat ride back. Despite knowing where Ash was, despite knowing Gideon was kept as a prisoner there in his private island, Lysander could do nothing about it and he hated this feeling.
He knew about the Iron Fort. He has heard that there is a creature in there. A one-of-its-kind type of creature that had been brought there by a witch. A witch who wanted the creature to especially protect whatever was in there from the fairies.
Witches and fairies didn't always get along. The fairy queen Varya had chosen to side with wolves in the war between the wolves and Georgia.
Ash had specifically asked for Cyane, but then he had made no mention of it. Why? Things didn't add up whenever Cyane was brought into the equation.
Ash had attacked Cyane in the woods and killed those humans, Lysander had been sure but Cyane hadn't agreed with him. She believed Ash to be a wolf but Min told him Ash had some sort of protection.
Plus, Cyane was behaving a bit shady from the past few days. She called in different numbers every single time. Something wasn't right.
Drops of water scattered over his face and wiping his face, he stepped back. His eyes flew open as something flashed in his mind.
Backward. He had to go backward.
He had to go through either Cyane or Ash's past. He didn't know anything about Ash, but he did know somethings about Cyane. He knew whose granddaughter she was and he knew about this creature Mr Black.
That creature had been with her all the time. The creature was gone now, Cyane had said, but Roderick was still there and he was looking for his granddaughter.
If Lysander wanted to know what the connection between all these things was, then he had to dig into Cyane's past and maybe somewhere in it, he could find clues about Ash's past.
Listening to Gideon's advice, Minerva was at the moment not after Ash. She was still coming to terms with her mate's decision and she needed her mother with her.
This was a job, he had to get done alone and in secret because Ash had his spies in several places and he couldn't tell his friends or enemies apart. But he would get into the crux of everything, he vowed and his wolf growled in avowal.
•••
"Eat," Xanthos said pushing a bowl of chunky vegetable salad towards her.
The last food she had eaten was the previous day breakfast and as she looked at the colourful bowl, her stomach made an embarrassing noise.
Xanthos raised his brows and lowering her head, she picked up the bowl and stuffed a whole spoonful of onions, carrots and broccoli into her mouth.
"Where did you stay last night?" Xanthos asked quietly and Cyane slowed down eating.
Once his friends had departed, he had asked her to go and take a shower and had also informed her that he had bought all the clothes she had picked in the mall. Cyane had been stunned to hear it and she felt... touched. She didn't know why, but she did.
He didn't have to buy it after she had left, but then he did. His gesture had left her speechless until she had felt the cold water from the shower on her skin.
Of course, he had bought it all! He had planned to bring her back and so he had been prepared. She didn't need to flatter herself unnecessarily.
After coming out of the shower, she had checked the bite mark on the neck. He had bitten her early in the morning and she had slept throughout the day. A closer inspection of the mark in the mirror had made her furious because the skin there had turned red and it looked like she had a love bite.
How could he just bite her like that? Is that the way all wolves did it with their mates? Well, if it was... it was highly unacceptable.
When she had stepped out of the destroyed room wearing a dark blue A-line skirt and printed white t-shirt, to give Xan a piece of mind, she had found him ordering dinner for them.
Her stomach had rumbled and she had decided that she would eat, be energised and then give him a lecture.
However, she quickly pulled herself back because she knew she had to tone it down and keep a low profile. All she wanted was to get into the Iron Fort and Grayson would give her the required information for that, but first, she had to gain their trust. Only then would she get what she wanted!
"In the woods," she said because that's where Lachlan had found her this morning. Somehow, she had ended up in the woods last night.
"You didn't go back to Lysander?" he asked with a low growl.
"I was supposed to, but I... I lost my way" she whispered the last bit. "I always end up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I don't think so" he muttered and her head shot up in surprise, "I think your timings are perfect."
The way he dragged the last word and the way his eyes roamed over her frame as he said it, had colour flaming her cheeks and she couldn't help but think of the first time she had met him. He had been naked and his member had been—
Shaking her head, she slapped her temples and then picked up her spoon again. "Disturbing images" she muttered and then immediately regretted it.
"Of?"
Theos! He was a mean person.
Those frosty blue eyes showed a hint of amusement and when softened, those eyes made her feel warm.
___
"Where do I sleep?" she demanded because there was no way she was sleeping on the sofa. It was only fit for two people to sit and it wasn't very soft or cosy.
His bedroom was out of the list and so that left only one room.
Xanthos, who was washing the bowls and glasses, did not reply until he was done with the task.
"There's only one room left since the other room is destroyed," he said as he wiped his hand with the towel.
His eyes demanded her to continue on that topic, but she feigned ignorance by shrugging and going into the other room.
She stopped in the doorway of that room and stared because it was a small room. Like literally very small room. The room only had a grey coloured mattress on the floor along with a table fan and there was nothing else in the room because there was no space for anything else.
Cyane looked at Xanthos and knew she was in no power to act like a diva and demand a better room. Besides, she had been the one who had destroyed the good room and now, she had to settle here.
Her shoulders dropped as she walked into the room and sat on the mattress. It only had one pillow and she remembered that was the pillow from the other room.
How did she end up here?
She, who had never slept on the floor had to experience even this. Life as she knew it had ended the day, she had run away from the wedding and strangely though, Cyane saw all this as a learning experience. She didn't want to regret all this... she wanted to rise and become tough from all this.
Xanthos told her to make a list and she would make a list.
She was adjusting the pillow as per her requirement when Xanthos walked into the room. She stopped and watched as he closed the room door. He stared at her and then pulled off his t-shirt.
Her heart thumped violently in her chest and it wasn't because of fear or disgust; it was in breathlessness.
"Wha-wha-what are you do-doing?" she managed to ask when she regained her voice.
"I am getting ready to go to sleep" he stated ignorantly.
"Naked?" she screamed when he started lowering his pants. Mercifully, he was wearing a grey boxer underneath it, but she placed a hand across her chest to calm her heart when she saw his bare torso.
Gioúpi! God sure took their fine time while carving him to perfection.
Xanthos paused and pretended to think before saying, "Actually, that's not a bad idea."
Her eyes rounded as she pushed herself against the wall and screamed, "Óchi"
"I am guessing it means no?" Xanthos mused.
"Yes."
"Yes?" Xanthos shot a surprised look.
"No" Cyane shouted, "It means no. You cannot sleep here" she shook her head for extra emphasis.
"This is my apartment" he stated as he kicked his pants towards the wall. "I had given you the best room but you were the one who destroyed it beyond repair."
Cyane closed her mouth and did not argue against that. She had done it because she hadn't been able to control her anger.
"You can just let me go instead" she suggested carefully even though that was not really what she wanted at the moment.
Xanthos growled, "To Lysander? I am not letting you go anywhere close to that womanizer."
"What? What did you call him?" Cyane asked in shock. Lysander had treated her like a daughter and she had never, ever, not even for a single second, felt unsafe around him.
Xanthos set his knees on the edge of the mattress and Cyane moved further away, until she was cornered. "You are a womanizer. Kamaki" she hissed and Xanthos stared at her. "And a criminal" she added glaring at him.
"That I am" he admitted shamelessly and she shot him a disgusted look. "What are you?" he demanded coming closer.
"Don't move" Cyane pointed her index finger in a warning. He looked at her pointed finger and then at her, before grasping hold of her wrist and dragging her towards him until she was pressed against his chest. Cyane gasped, stunned and unprepared.
This was the second time he was doing this and she swore it won't happen again. When she attempted to move away, he tightened his hold on her wrist and waist.
"Let go" she growled, but her body wasn't trying to fight him off. No. Instead, she placed her free hand on his shoulders for better support. His body was hard and rigid and his skin warm and smooth.
"You didn't answer my question," he said, his eyes moving from her eyes to lips. "My friends have an on-going bet" he shared lowly and her eyes rounded.
"Don't they have any decent work?" she scowled.
Xanthos shook his head seriously and then asked, "So, what are you?"
"I told you already, I am a runaway bride" she answered.
"So, people are looking for you?" he enquired and she nodded.
"Rich. Powerful people" she whispered and his brows shot up, impressively. "If they find out you have kept me here, against my will... you'll be fucked."
It was the first time she was swearing and though it didn't feel good to say the word, it did emphasize her words.
Xanthos smirked and it was like a hungry polar bear smirk. He was fearless. "Why? Are you a princess or something?" he asked sardonically and she blinked.
If only he knew how close he was to the truth...
Cyane smiled and then leaned closer to him, "That's just the way they are. Where I come from, taking anything in greed is forbidden and the punishment is death."
"I cannot wait to meet them" he gushed and her eyes rounded in horror at the thought of Ari and Ronnie meeting him. They would probably shoot ten arrows into his chest and then ask his name.
"Do you miss them?" he then questioned.
Cyane stopped fighting him and lowered her head, before giving a firm nod.
Yes. She missed them. She missed all of it, but she also did not want to go back, now that she was out of there.
"When the time is right, I do want to go back" she admitted truthfully as tears welled up her eyes.
Xanthos loosened his hold on her wrist and then raised her chin with his index and thumb finger. He frowned when he saw the tears in her eyes.
"Why were you planning to go to Lysander if you miss your own family?" he asked reasonably.
"Because they are the only ones who have been nice to me in Aelius" she replied truthfully.
"I am not nice?" he asked and scowling, she shook her head. One corner of his lips tilted upwards and it made him look charming and friendlier, even when she knew he didn't possess either of those traits. "That's right, I am not" he admitted after some time and this time, she furrowed her brows, wondering why he was the way he was. Why was he leading a life where everyone either feared him and called him a Hound, as an insult more than respect?
"But for you, I can do a nice gesture," he said and she blinked a few times, wondering if she had heard him right. "I will promise to take you back to your family when it's all done."
"Honestly?" she asked in surprise and he nodded. "Why?" She had to know why he was planning on doing even this one nice gesture for her.
"Because I don't like this," he said as he wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Okay" Cyane accepted breathlessly, truly touched.
Hound. Criminal. Ruthless.
Those were the words that were attached to him and he was all that, but there was also so much more. He was her mate... she knew it was the forever kind of thing in their world, but she also knew it worked only when there was love.
She didn't love Xanthos and neither did he love her, but she supposed because of the bond, he wanted to do something nice for once and she swore to do whatever in her capability to make him see the right side.
"Okay," Xanthos nodded and then, he kissed her. It was a peck, but it took her by surprise and she stared at him in shock.
"You cannot do that" she argued.
"That's how we are going to seal promises" he shrugged and she narrowed her eyes.
Cunning. How could she forget he was also very cunning?
"You want to know how I seal promises?" she questioned and he merely raised a brow.
Cyane slowly leaned forward and then quickly turning her head, she bit the hand resting against her cheek.
Hard.
And with all her might.
"Fuck" Xanthos cursed and then growling, he roughly yanked his hand back which had her fall back on the mattress with a slight thump.
He inspected the bite on his palm and then scowled at her, which made her grin, "That's for biting me" she pointed out gleefully as she moved to the other end of the bed. "And if you touch me, I will kill you."
She placed the pillow below her head and closed her eyes. It was the first time in her life that she was sharing a bed, but she wasn't scared or feeling any disgust. Instead, she was feeling giddy.
Ugh! What is he doing to me?
A split second later, the pillow was wrenched away and Cyane gasped out loud. She turned to look at Xanthos, placing the pillow under his head.
"My place. My rules" he muttered as he closed his eyes.
"You better not touch me even accidentally" she warned him again.
"Or else you will kill me?" he was mocking her and she knew it.
He was confident that she couldn't hurt him and he was right because she couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt. However, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.
"Yes," she said instead and he scoffed. Her eyes widened in outrage and she gritted her teeth, "Even if I spare you, Ari and Ronnie won't." Not that they would get a chance to come after him. She wouldn't allow that, but she wanted to scare him.
His eyes flew open and stared right at her, "Who are they?"
"My mom's cousins. The most powerful members in my family" she said proudly.
"I am sure your uncles are very powerful" Xan muttered closing his eyes.
Uncles?
Strictly speaking, Ari was her uncle. He was her mom's cousin after all, but he was just four years older than her and she had never, ever referred to him as her uncle. He was just Ari and Ronnie, was just Ronnie.
Cyane scoffed.
There was nothing simple about Ronnie. Deadly. Dangerous and Fiercely protective, that's what Ronnie was.
Ari and Ronnie weren't as close to her as they are to each other, but they still had a polite, cordial relationship with her and strangely, at the moment, she missed them both and she wondered, how they were and where they were.
Probably after some idiot who was foolish enough to mess with a Lycorian....
•••
Crystal wings spread wide; Pete flew over the endless desert terrain spread in all directions. Breathing heavily, he pressed the bag containing the loot closer to his chest.
A rain of arrows flew towards him and he gritted his teeth in pain when one of them pierced his wings.
If only he finds a place to hide... Why was there no end to this wasteland?
Turning his neck, he looked behind him and winced when he met Aristandros's flaming golden eyes. He tried to fly higher and faster but the desert heat was getting to him. He had been planning on going to another kingdom and live a lavish life, but Aristandros and dark wings warriors had caught up to him at the airport and a chase had soon begun.
Pete soared higher in the air and turned to face the Sylvan fairies. Using most of the energy that was left in him, he directed it towards Ari and his men.
Ari's golden eyes flared in rage and he used his translucent golden wings as a shield in front of him. The energy hit the other fairies and few of them lost balance and dropped lower but not Ari.
He was of the royal blood and like all the members in his family, his wings were thick and powerful as that of an angel.
Knowing he cannot waste further time attacking Ari and losing repeatedly, Pete turned and flew further.
When there wasn't immediate rain of arrows, he was surprised until he turned his head and saw, Ari, aiming.
The arrow was already nocked and when their eyes met, Ari smirked and then discharged the arrow from the string.
Pete meant to move away, but the bow flew with unnatural speed and hit his shoulder blade, tearing his wings. He screamed in pain and lost balance as he was unable to spread his wings again. Earth's gravitational force took charge the very same moment and he began dropping to the ground at the speed of a missile.
He rolled over the endless dunes and cried when the baking sand rubbed over his injury. With shaking hands, Pete pulled the arrow off his back and whimpered when he saw the torn piece of his wings attached to it.
Discarding the loot bag, he crawled over the sand that had been burning under the blazing sun.
He would beg for mercy. He would fall at their feet to spare his life.
As he crawled on the sand, Ari and the warriors descended.
"Are you alright?" Ari asked a warrior hit by Pete's blow, in his mother tongue.
"Naí" the warrior replied.
"How dare you?" Another warrior screamed and then kicked him in the face. Blood spat out of his face and Pete groaned and fell flat on his back.
Another warrior stepped forward and picked his bag. "Is this all or is there more?" he demanded.
"Answer him" the same warrior kicked his face again.
"Water" Pete begged, he wanted water.
"You killed our men and you almost killed us and expect us to give you water?" the warrior hissed, kicking him in the stomach this time.
Pete gasped and clutched his stomach and begged for water again.
"Enough" Ari commanded and the warrior stepped back. "Someone, please provide the man some water," Ari said in a cool crisp voice and Pete sighed in relief.
"Your grace, this man deserves no mercy" the warrior argued.
Ari's voice left no room for argument when he said, "We are not going to be the one deciding his punishment, Ronnie will."
Just by hearing Ronnie's name, Pete's eyes widened in horror and then closing his eyes, he let darkness claim him.
___
When Pete woke up, he found himself tied to a chair in a dark room. The warriors had stitched his wings together with copper wire and he knew he wouldn't be able to spread them.
Through the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of green, like a radium light, but then the table lamp was turned on. Smartly dressed in beige chinos and dull grey shirt, Aristandros walked in, with few of the warriors following behind him. After placing his phone on the table, Prince Aristandros sat down on the opposite chair, facing Pete.
Pete gulped as Ari smiled at him. The smile was warm and welcoming but Pete knew he was doomed. They wouldn't forgive him. They never forgave anyone.
"So, Pete, do you wish to explain yourself?" Ari asked in fluent Greek.
"What's the use? You are going to kill me anyway" Pete mumbled in the same language.
"No. Not if we have some reason why you did it. Why you felt the need to steal from us?" Ari extended.
If they gave him a chance, Pete decided on grabbing it with both hands, "I... I was being blackmailed" he lied and hoped they would buy it.
Ari tensed and then leaned forward, "By whom?" he asked, his brows furrowed in concern.
"By some wolves... I... I don't know which kingdom they belonged to. Aelius or Scevola.... But for a while, I got mixed up with the bad crowd and me... I did things I was ashamed of. You see, I was in a bad place... my marriage broke up and I wanted to forget the pain" Pete said in a shaken voice.
His marriage broke up because his wife had claimed she was tired of his cheating. He had been happy to get rid of her and live a happy life as a single man. Not that he had any intention of sharing that bit with Ari or the warriors.
"I thought your wife divorced you because she caught you cheating?" Ari asked in a perplexed voice.
It was public knowledge that he had cheated on his harridan wife. The hag had made sure everyone would know about it.
"Yes... I did" Pete admitted. He knew he had to be very careful to get away from here. If he blatantly lied about everything, they would suspect something was off. "It was wrong of me. I love my wife but our marriage was going through difficult times and the, I met this woman and... she was nice. She understood what I was going through and at the time it just happened. I just got lost for a while" Pete said and then covered his face with his palms and faked a sob.
"I am so sorry. I love Kasma but she left me and I understand why but I am sorry" he cried.
"Do you need some water?" Ari asked after a while.
"Yes," Pete admitted and sniffed for added effect. A dark wing warrior brought a small bottle and Pete emptied it immediately. He was still very thirsty and his clothes were sticking to his sweaty skin.
He knew they were still in the desert.
"So, who was blackmailing you?" Ari asked after a while.
"Wolves," Pete said and Ari nodded.
"After the divorce, I met these people in a club. Initially, they seemed fun and I... I hated going to an empty house and I spent more and more time with them. They were into some shady stuff but I didn't understand it at first. I... I began to trust them more and more, but one day I saw them committing a murder" Pete whispered the last part.
"Whose?"
"A human. The incident happened a month before the Princess's wedding" Pete reminded and Ari's eyes widened as he drew the connection.
Pete surely wasn't going to tell them that had killed that human, who was a debt collector. When he had kept asking for his money, Pete had lost control and he had stabbed the man to death.
"Wolves killed a human in our kingdom?" Ari asked through gritted teeth and Pete watched him clenching his fists.
It was a good sign. It meant Ari was buying whatever he was selling.
"Yes. I wanted out and they wouldn't let me leave. I wanted to come to you for help. I even told them I will expose them and that is when they showed me the video they had made. It put me in a bad light... they had edited the video to make me look like the bad guy" Pete cried again.
"I don't understand what you are trying to say, Pete. Please be clear" Ari requested kindly, entwining his fingers on the table.
"They were the ones who had committed the murder and they had been into gambling as well, but they had used my name everywhere. They made it seem like I was the one who did everything bad. They had doctored receipts and registered in casino in my name. Booked rooms in my name and all the debt collectors started pounding my door. They tortured me and it got so bad" Pete covered his face with his palms again.
"You should have come to us for help" Ari suggested.
"I felt so stupid for falling for this pit in the first place and the clan members already frowned at me for cheating on Kasma and if they came to know about this... I was afraid no one would trust me and so I gave in" Pete cried again and was relieved to see the troubled look in Ari's face.
"What happened?" Ari asked gently.
"I... They wanted Lycoris gems and at first, I gave them my money. I gave them everything I had but they wanted Lycoris gems and I had no choice but to resort to theft" Pete lowered his head, to show the shame he did not feel at all.
"I didn't want to kill the guards, but they caught me and I panicked and I wanted to escape, so I just ran from there. I am so sorry. I am so sorry for everything" Pete covered his face with his hands and sobbed louder. "I feel so ashamed. I am so sorry" he kept on saying, hoping Ari would try to mitigate his punishment.
No one uttered a word for a while. The only sound in the room was of Pete sobbing with everyone looking at him in concern.
Ari got off his chair and moved around the table, to place a reassuring hand on Pete's shoulder. Pete trembled. "It's okay Pete. I understand" Ari said slowly leaning forward. "I believe you" Ari whispered near Pete's ears, while at the same time shifting his hands and placing them hands firmly on the backrest of the chair.
Pete slowly lowered his trembling hand. When he turned his head to look at Ari, he tried his best to suppress the delight he felt inwardly.
He knew he couldn't escape punishment, but they would tone it down by several years. In that time, he could find a way to escape for good.
"You do?" Pete asked in a shaky voice.
Sighing, Ari pulled back and nodded, his eyes sad and pitiful. "Yes," he said, tightening his grip on the back of the wooden chair. "But she doesn't."
With that said, Ari flipped his chair to the opposite side in one swift movement and Pete sucked in a shocked breath when he saw the glowing topaz green coloured wings, radiant in the darkness of the room.
It was the largest set of wings he had ever seen and spread in all its transparent glory against the wall. In the darkness of the room, it glowed like radium.
It was the flash of green he had seen earlier.
He knew who the wings belonged to. For months now, everyone in their clan had only one and one name in their mouth— Ronnie.
Everyone had been singing praises about Ronnie's fighting skills, powers, control and of course about her beauty, that was unmatched!
Ronnie had been in the same room, hidden in the shadows, this whole time and he hadn't even realized it.
His heart banged against his chest as she pushed herself off the wall and stepped closer. Rich forest green eyes, gleamed like two marble orbs when she opened her eyes. She walked slowly, like a panther, taking her own sweet time.
Pete's legs trembled and his lips quivered in fear because she was the panther here and he was the prey that she had cornered.
Ronnie's glowing forest green eyes were fixed on him as she asked in Greek, "Do you know who I am?"
Her voice was not demanding. It was just a simple question and yet he felt sweat coating his forehead. She wasn't visible to him in the darkness yet, but he could still see her eyes and wings and that was enough to scare him.
He had heard about her. About what she had done. How dangerous she was.
He had seen her before, but never this close! She was taller than he had thought her to be and this close, he could feel the power emanating from her.
Pete trembled, all smugness long gone, as he felt a trickle of fear run down the length of his spine. He gulped and nodded before breathing out, "Nai... Vasílissá.
He addressed her with her new title.
Only then did Queen Rhonwen Sylvan, of the Kingdom of Lycoris, stepped out, into the light.
****
Hahaha... Yes! This is the first twist of the story- Cyane is not the Queen. Ronnie is. Cyane did not win the Duel. More about it in the next chapter.
BTW, did any of you guess Ronnie would be a girl :P LMAO! I just had to ask that :D I purposely kept her gender hidden before this.
Please vote and comment coz I love reading them :D
Also, an updated character sheet for the story---
Next update on 17th September 😊
Love,
Shruthi.
Oh! Stay safe.