Chapter 65
POV: King Hades Pierce
“How is she?” He coldly asked Elder Zeparu as he finished checking Tamara’s condition.
The old man stared at him with his unreadable expression on his face, but his eyes were still on Tamara with a pale face and was just like sleeping so soundly at their own bed.
“You exactly know what will happen to her if her body can’t respond to this, right?” Elder Zeparu simply told him as he slightly shook his head to prove his point.
King Hades pursed his lips together as he heard those words that he had been expecting to hear.
Yes.
He already knew that his would happen, but he still pursued doing it. Because he knew that it was for Tamara. She had been the target of his enemies from the very beginning, and she just needed this to protect herself even though he wasn’t by her side.
However, this wasn’t a hundred percent sure to happen. There’s a huge probability that she could be a lycan just like what happened to her mother. But it wasn’t always the case if Tamara couldn’t successfully fight her inner animalistic side.
“Very well, then. I know that you know that this will be the consequence, but I know that you are just doing this for her.” Elder Zeparu suddenly told him which made him a bit surprised at what he said.
He was always being misunderstood when he decided to do this to Tamara. Even Raven didn’t want to do this to Shahara. He had marked her but not totally just a shallow bite. But he had decided, and he also had faith that Tamara could surpass this. It was just, it was the first time that someone had known what he had been thinking of from the very beginning and had understood it.
“It is a tough choice, but let us help her win this, My King.” The kind elder stated as he gave him a knowing look.
“We need to give her the Maria Flora. But you know how dangerous it is to get. And you need to go to that part of the South Side.” Elder Zeparu added with a hint of worry in his voice.
It had been decades since he last heard of that vine the Maria Flora. Only a few knew about that plant, particularly, the royal blood. It was used for the royal bloodlines to strengthen their humanity and control their animalistic side.
But it was rarely used because they didn’t want to get dependent and addicted to the plant. It could only be used whenever they already have no other choice.
“Do we really need that?” He seriously inquired.
Elder Zeparu let out a deep sigh before nodding his head.
“I’ll be honest with you, Your Majesty. Her body seemed so fragile. Her pulse was weak, and her breathing was heavy. It might reflect her will to fight. If you’ll let me, I’ll have to ask you something, Your Majesty. Is there… Is there anything terrible that happened before this incident that had triggered her form?” Elder Zeparu curiously asked.
The king remained silent. He knew that this could eventually happen, but because of his jealousy and anger, this had slipped out of his mind. That’s what he had told Tamara could trigger her lycan form.
“Fine. I’ll get it.” He finally stated, without answering the elder salutary’s question.
He didn’t need to explain himself. Everything that happened between him, and Tamara was only for the both of them. It shouldn’t be told for everyone to know.
“B-But-”
Elder Zeparu was about to disagree with him, but he simply cut him off.
“Do you think, I will let someone get that medicine for her? I won’t. Besides, this is a discreet thing that only I and Raven know about. I allowed you to use it but not to know where it is hidden.” He sardonically warned him.
The elder swallowed hard and bowed his head down.
“I am so sorry if you got it that way, Your Majesty. I know that I am a curious fella. But I am just worried about you. Please forgive me for my insolence, but there’s a huge possibility that you will come face to face with the enemies.” Elder Zeparu tried to explain his side worry came across his tone of voice.
King Hades composed himself, but a tinge of annoyance was still lingering inside his veins. Especially since Tamara was still unconscious and might be in danger.
“Just make sure to watch the Queen while I am away. I’ll designate Raven here for the mean time.” He darkly stated before walking towards the door and calling for Raven.
He didn’t want to leave Tamara, but he needed to do this for her. Even though the Lunar Pack’s elder seemed calm he could smell pure fear and deep worry in his system. And he knew that it wasn’t just for him, but for the woman who was lying in his bed.
“I will do it.” Raven suggested with his voice laced with concern.
He knew how risky and dangerous it was to go at the South Side especially at that certain part where the Maria Flora were planted but he couldn’t let Raven go there. Not if he had discovered something that the enemies were trying to get experimented at.
“Just stay here and guard Tamara. If something bad happens to her, I will kill you myself.” His voice was already laced with finality making Raven grunt in frustration.
“You know I can do this instead, right?” Raven insisted, but he just shot him a deadly glare.
“But you also know that I can do this for my Queen.” He darkly stated emphasizing the word ‘My Queen’ that made Raven smirk.
“Too territorial. You can just get the credit, brother.” Raven playfully said, but he just narrowed his eyes at him to make him shut his mouth.
But Raven just let out a small chuckle before he finally turned serious.
“Just don’t let yourself get killed.” He sternly warned him, and he just shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on him.
“Don’t worry too much.” He simply replied, and before he could even leave his brother’s room, he heard him scoffed.
He didn’t need anything on his journey towards the South Side. He decided to go as soon as the moon finally showed up. He wanted to be discreet about it so that even Arlan wouldn’t know.
King Hades stepped foot out of the castle using the secret pathway from the Throne Room. He perfectly escaped without anyone noticing him.
The cold wind embraced him. He was simply wearing a black jeans and a black V-neck shirt. He wasn’t wearing his cape nor his crown, for it would just attract attention. The moon was illuminating brightly in the sky as he started running speedily towards the South Side.
It could take him three long hours without stopping just to be in that place at the peak of the Mount Celeste. The hidden mountain that only the royal blood knew about. It was where the important herbs and things were kept hidden. No one else could even get past the barrier that the enchanted mountain possessed except for the royal blood.
But because he knew that something was terribly wrong on the South Side, he had to be very careful. It could also be a great opportunity for him to spy on it.
King Hades had been running miles already. He had passed the South Side a few minutes ago, when he suddenly took an abrupt stop and jumped so high to reach the branch of the huge tree. He was so careful that no noise could ever be heard from his footsteps.
He suddenly felt like something was terribly out of the place. He surely had this undeniable strong sense of smell, but he couldn’t smell anything just the other species of animals lurking in the shadows. It was strange that…
His forehead instantly creased as he realized that he hadn’t encountered any rogues from the very moment he entered the South Side. It was an odd thing because they were guarding every particular place in the South Side especially its borders. But now, no single soul has ever come face to face with him.
He gritted his teeth as he sniffed the air with a faint scent of blood.
They were surrounding him, but he didn’t know how many there were. He clenched his fists as he realized that it wasn’t the first time that he had encountered such a particular smell like something was trying to hide its smell.
Then, flashes of scenes had occurred in his mind the scent from the palace, the scent from the cliff where Tamara and Shahara fell, the scent from some of the packs… And the scent here at the South Side all come together like a whirlwind circling in his mind and frustrating the hell out of him.
How could he be so careless about it?
How could he not discover it at the soonest time possible?
However, before Hades could even think thoroughly and decide what to do, bloody eyes from the shadows suddenly brightened up the entire place. Five, ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred…
The King let out a loud curse from inside his head.
And before he could even process what was happening, a huge blow from his back suddenly hit him. He knew that it was fatal as he felt his back getting wet.
A loud growl suddenly escaped from the animal, trying to hide itself from the shadows of the forest. But even though the King couldn’t distinguish its scent, he tried to concentrate on the sound of its feet and body.
And when he made another attack, he instantly dodged it. But he felt like his feet suddenly became deep-rooted on the ground as he saw the rogue standing before him with the help of the light coming from the bright moon.
It was a rogue almost in a lycan form!
Then, slowly, the others decided to appear in his very eyes.
It was a little bit smaller compared to him and Raven when it came to size. And they seemed dazed, but not to the one who attacked him.
The king clenched his fists as he felt hundreds of them surrounding him. He wouldn’t let anything happen to him and he must flee.
He felt his back hurt as it tried to weaken his body.
His eyes turned to the elongated claws of the one who attacked him they were dripping with both his blood and a black liquid.
He felt his vision suddenly blurred and he instantly blinked to ease it away. He gritted his teeth as he tried to remain calm for him to get out of the place. He needed to get away, as soon as possible, because he knew that the poison was already trying to overtake his entire system.
King Hades dashed cross the border from the South Side. He could sense that the one who attacked him was the only one who could almost match with his speed because the others just seemed like they were just out of their minds and were confused or something. He tried to speed up more and lost the f*cking lycan-wannabe.
But he let out a curse under his breath as he saw that he was almost near the border, but five more rogues with bloody eyes were guarding the way out. He instinctively hid in the bushes as he felt his wound worsen. It was throbbing behind him, and he felt his entire body tremble uncontrollably.
He gritted his teeth as he tried to stand up, but he was failing miserably.
No!
He must stay alive!
And before he could even try it again, he felt his body trembling and weakly fall to the ground.
‘Tamara…’
That was the last word that ever crossed his mind before his consciousness had already left him in the middle of the woods alone and in deep pain.