A sigh escaped Zeidan's lips as he stepped backward. His hand bled as he held the knife hardly by the tip and looked down at his new bride who looked ignorant of everything going on.
Poor Lyne. He thought.
Everyone has stopped walking around.
"What was that for?"
"What was what for? You kissed me." Lyne thought he was talking to her since his eyes are still locked with hers.
"I wonder how much freaky magic you can do." Charles' voice made Lyne turn towards him.
"So many powers but you can't even fight your people."
Lyne looked at Zeidan and her face caught blood dripping down his hands as he held it. That was when it dawned on her that Charles had thrown it at them while they were kissing. She covered her mouth in shock, tears rolling down her cheeks for two reasons. He just risked his life to save hers and he looked like he cared for her.
"You even had to settle for less all because you need an army to fight your little war. How cheap of you." Everyone including the Alpha is quiet, watching the drama.
"Charles, stop it." Lyne tried to plead but her stepbrother isn't having any of it.
"If you're the man you claim you are, fight your war yourself. Leave Lyne alone and go look for someone else to suck her blood. Not my sister. You vampire."
Lyne shot a glance at Charles, now very shocked to the extreme. Does her brother really care about her?
"If she was your sister and you treated her like one, she wouldn't be given out by you all," Zeidan replied, taking the knife on the head with his second hand.
"She isn't going anywhere and that is final. Why? Because you ain't getting any of our armies. Fix your mess yourself. " He walked away but Zeidan's words stopped him.
"I don't need your army!" He said out loud, causing Lyne to look up at him, disappointment written all over her face.
"But, I need your daughter. She's all I need."
It was as if a jar of cold water has just been poured on the fire. She felt calm and her tears turned into that of joy.
Charles turned in a three sixty-degree movement.
"Very well, then, Vampire King. Take her away. It's easy to lose a freak than losing other hundreds of armies to your war."
"Enough!" Styx roared, his furry body shivering with rage.
"That is enough. Charles, you will say no more. We had an agreement."
"An agreement we are not sure he'll fulfill." He replied to his father.
"I already fulfilled one out of two." Zeidan reminded, his eyes turned towards Styx.
"Ohh! That's true. I have the Onyx..."
"Part of the Onyx." He corrected.
"Yes, part of the Onyx and also marry Lyne. He's fulfilled one."
"He'll definitely break the agreement. If you will insist on marrying Lyne, fine. But none of the Army is going with you." With that Charles turned and walked to the palace.
Lyne couldn't place a finger on what had just happened. As the cold rain fell on her hair and washed down her body, she clenched her fist. As she stared at her father with glassy eyes, she could see how furious he is with Charles. He nodded towards Akeila to skip the whole event to where they would exchange rings.
"What are you going to do, Dad?" Lyne asked, her voice shaky.
"There can only be one King, and that's me. He'll get over it soon." Styx shrugged. "What's important is that you're given to him safely and he gets his army."
Halfway through the journey of Zeidan, Lyne and the men, including the soldiers now in their wolf form. They spread behind and around the carriage to protect the newly wedded couples who rode on Zeidan's white horse.
Holding the reins, Zeidan made sure each of his arms was guiding Lyne properly so she doesn't fall. It was still raining but entering Vampire city in broad daylight was only going to speak danger. Especially since there are Werecats around the city.
After a moment of silence, Lyne opened up.
"I'm scared."
Zeidan slowed down his movement to listen to her as they move between the forest in the night.
"Why?" He asked.
"I'm afraid..."
"You can't cope staying alone. You're scared of seeing my monster face..." He finished for her.
"What?" Lyne turned to look up at him.
"I didn't say that..."
"You're wondering if you'll join me to fight this war. Well, you don't have to..."
"Will you let me finish?!" She snapped.
"What I'm saying is..." She began to say but had to stop. What if her question makes her seem like she is in a rush? Should she consider herself so important to deserve Zeidan's feelings towards her?
"Will you speak out?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts but she just sighed and rested her head against his chest till she drifted into the dreamland, tired.
The skies are now clear and it looked like the darkness was beginning to give way. However, as she looked around, she realized she was now alone on the ground in the forest. She felt desolate and troubled.
As she looked up, she could see a body lying in a pool of blood. She walked up to it, her eyes darting around and her ears picking up sounds.
Picking up sounds?
She crouched by the body and turned it to face her but who she saw shocked her to the bones.
"Zeidan?!" She called, her eyes laced with tears as she carried him in her arms.
"Please wake up!"
"He can't wake up." Lyne could hear a deep voice say and as she checked who it was, her heart skipped.
"Shelbrooke?" She called.
His hysteric laughter filled the forest as he emerged from the darkness and advanced toward her. Her heart kept beating as she shook the body in her arms hoping to jerk him awake.
Shelbrooke's scarred face is now visible as he stepped forward.
"Zeidan, please wake up. Zeidan!" She called numerous times till she saw a knife beside his body. She picked the weapon and pointed it at Shelbrooke who stopped in his tracks.
He smiled and spread his hands at Zeidan, releasing a speck of glowing blue dust that enveloped his body and began to evaporate. Lyne couldn't lift a leg as she was feeling weak already, but she managed to scream.
"Zeidaaaan!!!!"