Chapter 154

154 iv. Poison

“Save our son,” Mary knelt before Dominus as the latter looked away.

“That thing is no son of mine. He has led the attacks against his own people. That traitor can never be deserving of my blood,” he said dismissively.

It was hard having this conversation with her. She has pleaded countless of times with him, but he couldn’t forgive the boy who betrayed his own family.

“There must be a reason why he was doing this! Surely he is under the vampires’ control,” she continued to plead, refusing to stand from her position.

“There is nothing else we can do for that boy. I have already ordered he be killed upon sight. If I catch him myself, I will do the same,” Dominus’s voice was devoid of any emotions.

The pack has lost hundreds of lives in a span of a few months. Every secret base and defense the wolves had, has been spilled by the one the alpha shared his blood with.

He was seen leading the vampires to the bases. He was seen killing his own people. There are far too many accounts of survivors to be mistaken.

Dominus stood and walked out of the room, not glancing even once at the woman who was on her knees, crying still. He couldn’t look more for fear he might change his mind all because he couldn’t bear looking at her so heartbroken.

But consequences must be paid. And Kaede has broken not just the law. But the ancient rules that were in place.

.....

Dominus will be leading their invasion tonight. There was no other way but to attack or risk losing more of their numbers in vain.

Jiro rushed towards Mary and helped her to stand up, “Mother, please enough of this. You have starved yourself for so long. You also refused to rest. But father won’t be swayed now. He has already decided as to what fate Kaede will face in light of all his atrocities.”

“Jiro,” she let out a cry as she hugged the young man who has been more of a son to her than her own blood ever was.

“I will do my best to try to convince father. But you have to promise to take your rest. Please go back to your room and wait until all this is over. If we are lucky, we will all return here in one piece. We need you to be okay for when we return,” Jiro tried his best to explain.

Mary smiled weakly as Jiro stopped in front of her room and opened the door for her.

Once inside the room, alone, she took a kitchen knife and sliced her arm, letting blood trickle down into her dress. She mumbled a few words and closed her eyes.

The windows to her room shut closed as an unnatural coldness seeped through her skin. Her eyes scanned the area until she saw a woman she once thought of as dead.

“Yuki,” she mumbled.

“It is I, mother,” the innocent-looking girl smiled softly.

“What happened to you?” Mary asked as worry and fear gripped her heart.

“I have been given a second life by my sire. I was sent here to relay to you his conditions. That is, if you still wanted to see Kaede... alive,” she added.

“What are the conditions?” she asked sincerely.

“First, you have to come with me,” Yuki smiled again, a smile so innocent anyone could be deceived of her new vile nature.

“Do you promise to keep him alive if I do?” Mary asked the young woman whose smile did nothing but make chills run through her bones.

“It is not I but the king himself who promised this. Do you accept?” the young lady extended her hand cheerfully.

Mary accepted her hand and they disappeared into the night. The speed was so fast she didn’t even realize she has been transported.

She glanced around the structure of the castle she was brought into, “Where is this place?” she asked.

“My palace,” the voice boomed as the silver-haired man she met years before walked out, still in perfect youth with no signs of having aged.

“You,” she was stunned and unable to say anything more.

“Well, my dear. Cat got your tongue?” he said in a playful tone.

“Why did you bring me here?” she demanded.

“Bring you here? I know no such thing. It was you who wanted to see your son, if I am not mistaken,” he grinned.

His eyes finally revealed something so sinister about his character as he smiled triumphantly, “Say, am I right you would like to see your son?”

“Is he alive?” her voice trembled, fear growing in her heart with every second that passed.

“Oh my! What kind of a host do you take me for, my love? Yes, of course, he is alive. Just a bit unwell... but breathing,” his smile turned her insides cold.

“I can’t believe we met after such a long time and you won’t even ask how I have been! To think we almost had an understanding between us,” his cheerful tone did not hide his true intentions.

“Do not mock me! I never had any intentions of running away with the likes of you. You disgust me! More than anything else, your presence is revolting to me!” she hissed.

“Ahhh, so the human girl finally learned to bear some fangs of her own,” he chuckled.

“I was just trying to start a pleasant conversation. You are in my territory after all. I do not want you reporting to the alpha how I mistreated you,” his sweet voice filled with his sarcasm as he eyed her with lust.

“You have aged so gracefully. Maybe because I do not have the privilege of seeing myself age, that your transition even more so attracted me to you,” his eyes were trailing every inch of her body as if he was stripping her naked.

“I do not feel the same way towards you. To me, you are nothing but a wicked monster. You have no soul or conscience. A pretty face without nothing on the inside,” she said bravely.

“Well then, you know I promised to never force my will on you. But I am confident you will speak a bit more kindly to me in the next few hours,” he smiled confidently at her.

“Do not deceive yourself any longer. You will just be disappointed,” she answered.

“Well, I am quite sure... since I have a valuable bargaining chip here with me,” he walked closer and held her by her neck.

“There is nothing more valuable to a mother than her child’s life, isn’t it?” he asked as he breathe in her scent, grazing his fangs on her neck before letting her go.

“Where is he? Where the hell is my son?” she asked him, raising her voice as she pushed him away.

As if on cue, a vampire dragged a person in chains. He was bloodied and too thin. His skin was almost translucent and he almost looked like flesh and bone.

She rushed to the man he recognized right away to be his son, “Kaede! My son, what have they done to you? I’ll get you out of here.”

Malavar’s laughter echoed through the air, “Are you sure you can still bring him back? How do you intend to do that?”

She ran towards the man who spoke, raising the knife she had concealed in her clothing, she attempted to strike him. He easily stopped her by holding her arm.

As if he was taking a candy away from a child, he took her silver knife from her and threw it far from her reach. He then held her and lifted her chin so that she can meet his eyes.

Hers was the deep blue of the ocean and his was the shallow peaceful one. Hers was filled with anger and his was filled with lust and an equal temper.

“I am quite disappointed at what you did, my love. You raised a hand to the king who welcomed you to his home. That by itself is punishable by death,” his lips curved in a smile.

“Unhand me! I will kill you! I will fucking kill you this instant!” she shouted at him.

Holding her still in his arms, he whispered, “Are you sure you would like to do that? Your son can be saved by no one but me. Look at him, his youth and his strength were gone in an instant. He has been poisoned and fed on by vampires from my lineage. If you wish to restore everything back to him. You have to offer me one thing.”

She looked at her son who didn’t flinch or raise his eyes. He has no emotions on his face. He looks nothing but a blank canvas that doesn’t feel or think.

As much as she would like to protest. She really has no choice now. He is right, what matters most to her at this instant is saving her son’s life.

“Come here then, be a good girl. Let me take what I wanted,” he smirked, licking his lips.

When she felt his fangs grazing on her skin, she didn’t protest. And when she felt his fangs embed in her skin as her blood trickled down her neck, she closed her eyes in surrender.

At that moment, she only wished for one thing. To see him again before she loses her own life to the enemy.

She would trade anything to see him again for the last time. Dominus. She whispered his name as the monster started to take her life away.