Ranulf’s POV
“Retreat! go back, Armand!”
“You give him back to me…”
His punch was hard on my stomach, making me tumble back, but I quickly got up but only to be kicked on the legs by his and fall back down.
“Fucking heaven! you stupid ass!” I cursed at him when I had fallen for the stupid kick on the shin trick.
I was furiously hitting him, we were struggling while I was keeping him back from getting Rain away from me.
“The fuck are you doing here Armand? you… need to retreat, you’re going to kill all of your warriors!”
“For Rain! and I don’t fucking care if all of them died for me.”
“You’re one crazy fucker! give up!”
“I won’t…”
But he was backing away, his arm was dripping black blood. He was poisoned, my warrior must’ve dipped his sword with the poison. I knew exactly how bad it feels, and he was pulling my dagger from his chest. It was a couple of inches from his neck, it would’ve hit his artery if he hadn’t moved quicker.
“You will have to kill me, I’m going after him!”
He swiftly moves aside and runs for the small pathway, the secret passageway to the outside area of the palace. He was carelessly following Rain and Durwin, I know exactly with his rate of forcing himself he would’ve fainted in a matter of hours. He wouldn’t die from it, but he would be in extreme pain for weeks to come.
I growled from the annoyance. I’ve heard Rain talk about him with Durwin when he thought I wasn’t listening and I’ve peeked into his mind on occasions. I know Rain has a soft spot for Armand, somehow he had helped him when I had abandoned him. And in some sick way, I was actually feeling the gratitude towards him.
I know it was my fault in the first place that he had run away, and being kept at his place was actually better than him wandering off into the hellish terrain.
“You are not going after him!” I said grabbing his neck forcefully, he was clawing my arms with one hand, his other hand looked rotten already, he was moving too fast the poison was spreading way too quickly into his veins.
“And I’m not going to kill you. Her pain and suffering had stayed for eternity with me, I’m not having yours too!”
It was what had happened with my angelic mate, she had died in my hands, I had furiously killed her with my jealousy. I didn’t even think twice for the mate who had cheated on me, shaming me in front of the whole heavenly kingdom.
But strangely with Rain, I was feeling the eerie calmness to want to protect him instead. Brutally knowing that he had lain in bed with another being, seeing them with my own sets of eyes, and yet I still want him to be mine, regardless.
“Basilea!” I called out for my demon succubus, I could feel her aura near our vicinity.
“You owe this to Rain, you will heal… you will not go after him again. He is mine!” I choked his neck harder until his face changed to a darker shade, but he was not budging. His eyes kept on seeing mine, while he tugged his lip upward as if he was wanting me to choke him to death.
And that was when I understood Rain, he had told me a couple of days earlier about Armand, about how I had killed his one and true love, my angelic mate. This was his mission to die, his excuse to get Rain back was total bullshit. And deep down, I didn’t think he even realizes it. He was wanting me to kill him, he was wanting his revenge which was to make that I suffer the burden and the pain of his loss.
Because when angels kill, the victims become one with them. It was our curse, and that is why we could only kill one of our own. I choked him harder until he lost consciousness, and moments later Basilea came to me then bow in respect.
“My king.”
“Basilea, I need you to take him and get Maven to heal him. I will be away for a while, but maven will know how to reach me. This was destined, he had known about this and know what to do with the rest. He will advise you on how to proceed further.”
That was all I said to her, my mind was on overdrive, bits of pieces of what Maven had informed me was coming to form into one huge mess, and I was not ready. And surely nor will Rain, I must be by his side, he would crumble, this was not what I expect everything would go down. Not this soon, I thought we still have months, years, even decades. I didn’t expect it to went down in a week.
“Of course my king, as you wish.” She was a bit startled by my request but did not question me. She knows better to never question me.
I left Armand in her care after calling the nearest guard. He had also reported me that the invasion was taken care of, most of the enemies had been slaughtered and only a couple was escorted down to the dungeon for questioning.
“Very good, just get general Osbert and Maven into all this, I will leave the kingdom into their capable hands for the time being and will return in a few days. Maven will know how to contact me in any case of an emergency.”
Feeling the need to quickly follow their trace and find Rain and Durwin, I quicken my steps then decided to just use my broken wing to fly. The wound was ridiculously painful, I kept on tightening my jaw with every stroke of my wing. Armand was a serious force to be reckoned with, and I would admire him should we met under different circumstances.
It was a couple of miles later when I could finally see them, then land a few feet away from them. Rain looked at me worriedly, making me felt warm on the inside.
“I will be just fine little wolf.” I cupped his handsome face and kissed him softly.
He was kissing me back, but then pulled away looking not sure at me. I know that he was too afraid to ask so I told him what he needed to know.
“Armand is still alive, I’ve assigned Basilea and Maven to care for him. But we need to get you to safety.”
Durwin nodded at me and we walked a little further and finally arrived at a secluded forest area, where the trees were lush and the grass was high. Then Durwin hovers his palm between the two identical-looking trees, I had known this to be the portal of his elf kingdom.
But Rain was amazed when he sees the veil was revealing a more beautiful lush landscape ahead of us. It was ancient and rustic looking and at the same time, it was showing grandeur and greenish beauty.
Rain took Durwin’s hand instinctively, while still keeping his other hand on mine. He kissed Rain’s temple and whispered softly in his ear.
“Welcome to my kingdom, welcome to the elfland.”